Evenston Holice Adair

EVENSTON HOLICE ADAIR was born in Wren, Mississippi on May 28, 1938, the third child of four children born to the late John Adair, Jr. and Ruby Marshall Adair. At the age of seven his mother passed and he was raised by his father. In his early years Evenston accepted Christ as his personal Savior and united with the Chapel Grove Mississippi Baptist Church, Okolona, Mississippi. After graduating from Wren High School he moved to Columbus, Ohio and united with Mt. Olivet Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. H. Beecher Hicks, Sr. After moving to Columbus he attended Bliss Business College where he received his degree in Business Management. He began working for the Federal Government and later took a job as deputy auditor and administrator of Consumer Services at the Franklin County Auditor’s Office, where he directed the personnel and fiscal department at the Department of Taxation and was the business manager for Port Columbus International Airport, now John Glenn’s International Airport. He then became director for Franklin County Human Services. He married Emma J. Baskin on July 6, 1966 and to that union one daughter, Sheila and two sons, Evanston and Levanston were born. Evenston was very ambitious, caring, loving and a hardworking husband and father for his family. He opened a family business “Adair’s Tasty Dip Company”, and had several rental properties for many years. Evenston retired with 38 years of service. Evenston also served on the boards of the Franklin Park Conservatory, Central Community House, the Federal Credit Union and the Near East Commission. He mentored many young black men on the street, providing jobs and guidance to them. Many of which became longtime friends. He was very active in church, where he taught Sunday School for many years and worked with young children during the summer instructing them in baseball until his health began to fail. He is preceded in death by parents John Adair, Jr. and Ruby Marshall Adair; brother, Reverend Glen Adair; sister Claudine Adair Little, stepmother Annie L. Walker, and daughter Shelia Adair Thurman. He leaves to cherish his memory, loving wife, Emma Adair of 55 years; two sons, Evanston and Levanston (Lynn) Adair; one brother, Marshall (Juanita) Adair; grandchildren, Chanse A. Adair, Evan D. Adair, and Leah D. Adair and Tony Hayden (like an adopted son); and a host of other friends; nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends.