Adelaide Frances Willis, 81, of Vero Beach passed away peacefully and was taken to heaven by the Lord on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at Brookdale Assisted Living and under Hospice "At Home Care." She was born March 25, 1942, in Adrian, Michigan. Surviving are her three children, Cynthia Turner, Christopher Willis, and Catherine DeSchouwer all of Vero Beach, as well as eight grandchildren, Krystal Ellig, Kristopher Thorpe, Caleigh Willis, Colin Willis, Cadie Willis, Louis DeSchouwer, Elizabeth DeSchouwer, and Morgan DeSchouwer all of Vero Beach. Also surviving are three sisters, Anna Barber of Ft. Myers, Florida, Elizabeth Curran of Jenks, Oklahoma, and Lucille Barber of Ft. Myers, Florida.

In 1964, she received an Associate of Science degree in Nursing from Manatee Junior College in Bradenton, Florida. She then began her nursing career as a Registered Nurse (R.N.) at Shands Teaching Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She met and married the late William Willis, a graduate of the University of Florida while there, and they later moved to Vero Beach and began raising their family. She continued her nursing career in Vero Beach and worked in the Hospital Intensive Care Unit. She worked in several different hospitals throughout her long career and the ICU was her strength. As a highly skilled nurse, she also excelled in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and could handle the hardest of cases. She loved her profession and even took on a part-time job in early retirement.

Outside of the hospital setting, she was a devoted mother who had a deep Christian faith, sharing and teaching Biblical Truth to her children starting at an early age. She also served in church throughout her life by singing and playing the flute with the music team. She was also very mechanically inclined and creative with extensive sewing and woodworking skills. She would often make elaborate clothes for her children, especially for holidays and made wooden toys for them too. One of her woodworking projects included the construction of an amazing birthday party cart with functional wheels, two rows of bench-style seats for a small 6 children capacity and a tasseled canopy top to be pulled by the family pony. She later extended her crafting abilities and creations into gifts for her grandchildren while they were growing up. Quilting was her forte, and she gave many hand-crafted quilts as gifts to not only family members, but friends and co-workers as well over the years. She even taught her granddaughters the craft and then received a special quilt from them as well.

She also had a love for traveling and was very adventurous. She knew how to have fun with her kids while they were growing up and as adults when it came to traveling. She enjoyed such activities as snow skiing, white water rafting, challenging hikes, and sight-seeing in general. She also took plenty of photos and there was never a shortage to help remember these special trips. She covered almost all of the United States and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Newfoundland, often along with her children and grandchildren. Throughout her lifetime, she also spent extensive time in both Colorado and North Carolina with a special love of the mountains and for any fun activity that included those mountains.

She also had a love for history, and combined that with her passion for travel. This led her to accept a position while in her late thirties as the nurse for several archaeologists who traveled to Mexico on a special project. She absolutely loved the experience and immersed herself in the history while there, passing her knowledge onto her children and grandchildren, much of which included The Great Pyramid. She would also study in detail the history of the National Parks and Historic sites throughout the United States, especially the ones she planned to travel to. Historic sites were a favorite destination for her.

FAMILY….strong family values were at her core, and her family was everything to her. She tried to consistently be present and supportive of both her children and grandchildren in their activities and milestones, and she loved them all dearly. One of her favorite family activities was singing along with her kids and grandkids often accompanied by the piano and or guitar. Great enthusiasm and a fun-loving attitude were always in the mix no matter the event or occasion. In addition to family, she was also very loving, helpful, and generous with friends all throughout life, especially during times of great trouble and need…she would give the shirt off of her back if necessary. She had a "giving" mindset!

Her Legacy is one of deep devotion to Christ, deep devotion to family, "unforgettable" enthusiasm and support, and a lifetime of incredible generosity on so many levels. She will be cherished forever by her family and friends and will be greatly missed beyond words!!!

A funeral service will be held on Monday, July 17th at the Cox-Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home at 1950 20th St, in Vero Beach, Florida with visitation for friends at 9:30, and a service in the chapel at 10:00 a.m. The burial will be held afterward at the Crestlawn Cemetery at 1216 14th Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida.