Born April 5, 1926, in Parris Island, Township of Beaufort, South Carolina, Adele Lynes Needham passed away at peace May 5, 2012, at the age of 86. Adele lived a full, rich life that began with her idyllic childhood in Panama, where her father, Dr. Cedric Tremaine Lynes, was stationed as a U.S. naval commander. Adele had her own pet monkey ("Chippy Tisdale") growing up and loved her family deeply. Panama is also where she developed her lifelong hate of bananas ("Blahhh!"). She would soon, however, learn some hard lessons. "Life is not fair, you will just have to learn to live with it," was her favorite saying and advice. Adele was ten years old when her mother, Gladys Mourfield Lynes, tragically died, followed by the death of her beloved brother, Frank Lynes, when she was but a teenager. Adele's father also passed away untimely. With not a little irony, genealogy and family histories became lifelong passions. She proudly belonged to the DAR, Colonial Dames of the 17th Century, U.S. Daughters of 1812, Daughters of the American Colonists, Bench and Bar, National Huguenot Society, Valley Forge Society of Descendants, Freedom Foundation, and National Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims. After graduation from the American University in Washington, D.C., Adele became a Registered Nurse at Gallinger Hospital, where she caught the eye of a young intern named Perry Quentin Needham. The couple soon became an item and married July 8, 1950, at St. John's in D.C. Dr. and Mrs. Needham thereafter moved to a small Dallas apartment where Adele supported the young couple as they began their 61 years of marriage together, which ended with Dr. Needham's death on January 7, 2012. Adele stayed at home in the house on Northaven when her children were born, Ellen and Frank. She had much advice to give her children: "If you haven't seen something before, it's an education." "It pays to go First Class." "I may not always like you, but I will always love you." Adele was the engine that ran the family, and her family deeply appreciated all of her efforts, from term papers to driving kids to every game and practice. She was a consummate hostess for the many pool and dinner parties that brought so much joy to each and every guest. She was a tireless volunteer, from St. Luke's Episcopal Church (where she and Dr. Needham were original and sustaining members), to the Plaid Door, to Meals on Wheels. She also loved the many opera trips to Europe, New York and Santa Fe. But mostly, she was devoted to her husband and children. She once answered "Joe Smith" when asked about who she might have dated before meeting P.Q. No one believed her, especially with that generic name, or that she had ever loved anyone else. Adele is survived by her two children, Ellen Winspear (husband Donald Winspear) and Frank Needham (wife Karen Needham), and four grandsons, Frank Winspear, Ryan Winspear, Connor Needham and Chase Needham, all of whom loved their "Grandele." Adele once said to one of her children acting badly: "If you had the front seat in heaven, you would still want to know what the back seat in hell looked like." We know you have the front seat in heaven and we will always love you. The brightness begins.