F. Lynn (Okie) Adams, 94 of Red Oak, passed away peacefully at his home on April 10, 2026, in the presence of family and friends.

Lynn was born in Villisca, Iowa on December 13, 1931, to parents Gertrude and Robert D. Adams. He proudly graduated from Red Oak High School in 1949 where he participated in football and track. After attending junior college in Red Oak, Lynn enrolled at Northwest Missouri State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in English/Theater in 1953. On the day of his graduation, he also married his wife of 64 years, Jacquelyne (Jacky) Louise Donaldson.

In 1953 he was drafted into the Korean war where he did boot camp and leadership training at Fort Riley, Kansas and then was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia as a unit supply specialist and was honorable discharged in 1955. It was in 1956 that Lynn began his teaching career in Lineville, Iowa. In the summer of that year the superintendent of Red Oak Schools called and offered him a job. What followed was a 38-year career in education.

After acquiring his Masters’ degree in English in 1958, he became the primary English instructor at Red Oak Community High School. He was also the head of the Speech and Drama Department directing plays, coaching debate and acting as the sponsor of the annual yearbook, The Pep, publication. He retired from teaching in 1994.

Lynn’s conservative estimates of his 39-year career included 19 years of directing 38 plays encompassing over 3,000 hours of rehearsals and 152 performances, 30 years and over 120 speech contest, 21 years as yearbook sponsor, 15 years as the debate coach and almost 48,000 hours of classroom instruction educating over 4,500 Red Oak graduates. His legacy is the number of students who pursued professional careers in photography, media relations, dramatic arts and education.

Lynn’s other distinct passion and hobby was with firearms. Starting at the early age of ten, he bought his first shotgun which started a lifetime of collecting and selling guns of all types and calibers. As a registered dealer with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms he attended 25-30 gun shows a year for over 45 years. Before Google (BG), Lynn became the “go to” person for other dealers and customers to find out the history, value and repair of all types of rifles and pistols. The camaraderie and fraternity of his fellow dealers and friends brought him special joy throughout his life.

In the later years, you could find Lynn working on the many restoration and reclamation projects of historical properties in Red Oak alongside his wife, who led the endeavors. The historic restoration of the Red Oak Depot was his most personally rewarding project and a deep point of pride.

Thousands of hours of volunteer time and monetary contributions by Jacky and Lynn, Cliff and Sheryl Racine, George and Pat Maher, and other family and friends were contributed through the seven years it took to save and preserve this historic landmark which now houses the World War II Museum honoring the contributions of our Mongomery County Veterans of Company’s M&F of the 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Red Bull division.

Lynn is survived by his sons, Steve (Lynn) Adams of Red Oak, IA Jack (Frederique) of Jablines, France and daughter Shelley of Red Oak, IA and friend Janine Gering of Red Oak, IA; grandchildren Clayton Adams of Omaha, NE., Allison Adams (Kris) of Red Oak, IA, Ben Adams (Jordyn) of Essex, IA, Wren (Nick) Norgaard of Crosby, MN, Ames Jones of Seattle, WA, Floyd and Myles Adams of Jablines, FR and great grandchildren, Jack Riley Adams, Adelynn Cabezas-Adams and Lenora Norgaard. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gertrude and Robert Dean, wife Jacky Adams, and sisters Patricia (Pat) Maher and Roberta Burgus. The family would like to give special thanks to Paige Eubank and the staff at St. Croix Hospice for their excellent care of Lynn over the last three months.

Lynn specifically requested that no special services be held on his behalf and that memorials instead should be directed to Save Our Depot, Inc. at 305 S. Second Street, Red Oak, Iowa, 51566. LeRette Funeral Chapel has overseen all arrangements.