Car Wash on Saturday to Raise Money for Beloved School Custodian

Teachers, parents and students at in Kirkwood are rallying around one of their own.

Longtime custodian Lamont Adams retired at the end of the school year due to health problems. One day later, as he was returning to share in an end-of-the-year barbecue with school staff, Adams went into cardiac arrest.

Then two days later, while still in ICU, he lost his wife of nearly 30 years. Yvonne Adams, who also was in poor health, died before her husband ever awoke. She was buried June 2.

The news hit Adams’ friends back in Kirkwood hard.

“He is part of our family,” said former Keysor teacher Tricia Gaines, who has helped organize visits and phone calls to Adams, now recuperating in a rehabilitation center near his home in Cahokia, IL.

In May, Keysor teachers and families had hosted a special all-school assembly for Adams, showering him with gifts and donations to help him with expenses until retirement benefits kicked in. Adams, 51, has five grown children and seven grandchildren.

planned a benefit car wash for Adams as part of a church-wide service day on Saturday. The car wash will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at . Now the effort has taken on a new urgency as Adams deals with the unexpected costs of his hospitalization, rehabilitation and funeral expenses for his wife.

“He was loved and respected by not only the Keysor staff but all of Kirkwood employees,” Gaines said. “We are trying to spread the word and makes this a huge success to support him and his family.”

Fifth-grade teacher Cathy Renkins visits with Adams regularly and said he was thankful for the support from Kirkwood. She said that even in his grief over the loss of his wife, his caring nature continued to shine through and he never failed to ask about his friends in Kirkwood.

“It’s just his way,” Renkins said. “He loved everything about Keysor. He came to work early and stayed late. He did not want to retire.”

Renkins said Adams was especially popular with the students at Keysor. They could count on him stopping them in the hallways to ask about their classes or what sports they were playing or to talk about his beloved Cardinals or his pet poodle, Douglas.

“He’s really nice and caring,” said fourth-grader Janie Lauberth, 8. “He’s probably one of the nicest people I ever met.”

Renkins said Adams had worked at for several years before becoming head custodian at Keysor 12 years ago.

“Kirkwood is a different place without him,” she said. “It’s just not the same.”