Elizabeth (Betsy) Terry Forbus Adams

Elizabeth (Betsy) Terry Forbus Adams, 95, of Asheboro, NC, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, surrounded by close family. 

Betsy was an accomplished homemaker whose priority was her family and who also found many meaningful ways to give back to her community. 

She was married to Dr. Harvey Adams, a prominent local obstetrician.

Born June 2, 1930, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Betsy was the daughter of Wiley Davis Forbus, professor and longtime chairman of the Department of Pathology at Duke University Medical School, and Elizabeth Burger Forbus, a well‑educated homemaker. She was raised in Durham alongside her sisters Georg’Ellen and Martha.

Betsy grew up in a French Norman-style home in the neighborhood called Hope Valley. It was a special house her parents built in 1931 and rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1933. She attended Durham public schools and graduated in 1947. Betsy went on to Mount Holyoke College and earned an A.B. in religion in 1951.

After college, Betsy worked as an office manager for a psychiatrist at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she met her future husband, Harvey Adams, who was then a UNC medical school student. They married in Duke Chapel on June 10, 1955, beginning a partnership that would span 70 years. Early in their marriage, the couple lived in Washington, D.C. They returned to Chapel Hill for Harvey’s OB-GYN residency and welcomed two sons, Douglas and Brooks.

From 1960 to 1962, the family lived in Tirrenia, Italy, while Harvey served as a captain in the U.S. Army at Camp Darby. Betsy embraced Italian life wholeheartedly. She learned Italian and mastered a fine chicken cacciatore. A daughter, Pamela, was born there in 1962. During those years abroad, the family formed lifelong friendships.

The family returned to North Carolina in 1962, settling in Asheboro to be near Harvey’s parents, and Harvey established a successful, private OB‑GYN practice. They joined the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in 1963, a community that remained central to their lives. Betsy and Harvey raised their children in Asheboro, built deep friendships, and enjoyed the region’s many offerings, including the NC Zoo, Seagrove potteries, and the Uwharrie Mountains.

Betsy was known for her strong yet quiet character, kindness, and generosity. Her personal pursuits included many social and charitable activities and reflected her curiosity, intelligence, and sociability. She loved books and reading and was active in the Sorosis Book Club and The Historical Book Club of North Carolina. Betsy also served on the board and the book committee of the Asheboro Public Library Foundation and was president of the Randolph Friends of the Zoo. She volunteered for 10 years with Meals on Wheels.

Among other activities, Betsy enjoyed studying North Carolina wildflowers, playing bridge, traveling, and entertaining. In her younger years, she was passionate about gardening and skiing. Fun‑loving and adventurous, she once clogged to buskers in the Paris Metro and, on another occasion in Asheboro, gobbled along with a live turkey on Sunset Avenue, much to her children’s embarrassment. She read The New Yorker faithfully.

In her later years, Betsy was grateful to remain in her longtime home on Lexington Road, cared for by Harvey and her grandson Jay, with frequent visits from her sons and extended family. In her final days, her memory sharpened, allowing for meaningful conversations and expressions of gratitude.

Betsy is survived by her husband, Harvey Adams; sons Douglas Adams (Dawn) of Greensboro and Brooks Adams of Durham; and grandchildren, Elizabeth Adams, Jay Dorsett, and Russell Dorsett (Summer). 

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Pamela Adams Dorsett, and her son-in-law, Phil Dorsett.

A service celebrating Betsy’s life will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Asheboro.

Commemorative gifts may be made to:

• The NC Zoo at https://nczoo.com/donation-dashboard/

• The Randolph County Public Library at https://randolphfriends.org/Donate

• The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd at https://www.goodshepherdasheboro.com/give

Pugh Funeral Home is proud to serve the Adams family.