Patricia Lorene Riley Adams

Adams Lexington- Patricia R. Fleming Adams, 86 passed away at Yadkinville Skilled Nursing Facility Friday, December 22, 2017 at 12:35 am.  A native of Frederick County Virginia, she was born August 28, 1931, the daughter of the late Lorin Holt Riley and Patty Genevieve (Huddleston) Riley.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred T. Adams, Jr., her sister Anna Charles Riley Johnson and brother in law Daniel Lyle Johnson. Following graduation from St. Mary’s Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Knoxville TN and Charity Hospital School of Anesthesia in New Orleans, LA as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) she then worked and retired from Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro NC as their Chief Nurse Anesthetist and Head of the Anesthesia Dept.  During her career she served twice as the President of the North Carolina Certified Nurse Anesthetists Association (NCCNA), President and Regional Director of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).  She served on the Advisory Committee of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Bowman Gray School of Medicine and North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem.  The pinnacle of her career included serving as President Elect and as the President of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) 82,83 where she vigorously promoted, along side of her successor Patrick Downey Jr. and others, the economic and general welfare of its membership and to regain leadership among Nursing Specialty Organizations by becoming more actively involved in determining Nursing’s future.  Both Pat’s were responsible for pushing through the U.S. Congress the Direct Reimbursement to Nurse Anesthetists for services.  This action ultimately opened the door for direct reimbursement for all nurses.  Truly a ‘Big Deal’ for the Nursing profession. She is survived by one sister, Gertrude Huddleston (Riley) Johnston of Kansas City KS; multiple nieces, nephews and cousins; one daughter Patty Anne Fleming; one son William Samuel Fleming LTC, USA (R), daughter in law Vila Lee Fleming, their sons, Thomas Riley Fleming and William Finnegan Fleming. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in 2018.  She will be buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, VA.  Details will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers; consider a donation to The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at alzfdn.org/support-us/donate/. Or to your local Humane Society or the Humane Society of the United States at  www.humanesociety.org  .. as mom could never turn away a stray animal. Online condolences may be made at www.gentryfuneralservice.com