Dr. Frederick Kit Adams

Dr. Frederick Kit Adams, Jr., was born on July 8, 1942, to Mae Richards Adams and Dr. Frederick Kit Adams, Sr. He shared the name Frederick with his father, uncle, and two cousins; thus, from the start, he was known by his middle name, Kit. As his mother's only child and his father's only son, Kit was doted on as a child. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, with the campus of the then Morgan State College in his neighborhood. He spent summers with his parents in Annapolis, Maryland and Sag Harbor, New York and greatly enjoyed boating with the family.

Kit attended Baltimore City Public Schools, graduating from one of the top high schools in the city, Baltimore City College in 1960. He majored in Chemistry at Morgan State University, where he pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and participated in the early stages of the student-led civil rights movement. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. Throughout his life he remained proud of his service as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airbourne division. Kit was outgoing, gregarious and never one to turn down the opportunity to have a good time. Two of his favorite sayings were, “life is too short not have a good time” and “be good, but if you can’t be good, be careful.”

Kit had several family members in the medical field, including his father, a physician. He developed an early interest in medicine but decided to pursue a career that matched his love for animals. He worked as a Chemist for a few years and earned a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Tuskegee University in 1972. Known to many as “Doc”, he opened his own veterinary hospital in Washington, DC, where he held the practice for many years, and later opened an office in Silver Spring, Maryland. Always one for a new adventure, in his later years, Kit chose to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which required him to move to different remote locations to serve as a public health veterinarian.

While “Doc” enjoyed his work life, he was especially fond of spending time with his friends and talking about sports or the day's news. Determined to encourage opportunities for young people to pursue higher education, he followed in the footsteps of his father and uncles to become a member of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. He was an enthusiastic reader, mostly enjoying war or mystery novels. His favorite pastimes were boating and fishing.

Dr. Adams was predeceased by his sister, Barbara Ramos.

Dr. Adams is survived by his loving wife, Adele Adams; son, Mark Ross; daughter, Terri Adams; niece, Lisa Bourne; stepson, Adam Terrell; daughter-in-law, LeAndra Ross; and former son-in-law, Douglas Fuller. Kit was the proud grandfather of Maia Fuller, Kamara Ross, Chandler Ross and Eryn Ross, along with bonus grandchildren, Kayden Terrell and Kyle Terrell. He is deeply missed by extended family, many friends and fraternity brothers.