Lawrenceville, Illinois is grieving the loss of Sladen Edward Adams, a 24-year-old former Lawrenceville High School student whose death has left family, friends, teachers and classmates heartbroken.
Adams died on May 21, 2026. He was born on July 18, 2001, in Vincennes, Indiana, to Ed Adams and Jennifer Potts Adams.
For the people who knew him best, he is being remembered as a beautiful soul with a smile that stayed with you long after he left the room.
Sladen’s greatest pride was his children, Cash and Junie. Loved ones say they were the core of his heart and soul, and that he cherished every moment he got to spend with them. He was also deeply connected to his family, especially the people who stood beside him as he built his life in Lawrenceville and the surrounding area.
He graduated from Lawrenceville High School in 2019 and later attended Wabash Valley College, where he was active in TRIO and the Work Study program.
He spent his life trying to figure out what fit him best, working in several trades and never being afraid to keep moving forward.
Sladen worked as a waiter at Coco’s Café and Wine Bar in Lawrenceville and Rosati’s in Mt. Carmel, where he took pride in making customers happy.
He also worked in construction and roofing. Those who knew him said he had a strong work ethic, but what stood out most was the way he treated people.
He loved cooking, trying new foods and especially sushi. He also enjoyed video gaming, body building and lifting heavy weights. He loved animals and had a soft spot for his pets. For many people, that mix of toughness and tenderness is part of what made him unforgettable.
A student who made an impact on the people around him
One of the most heartfelt tributes came from Trinity Weir Britton, who said she was heartbroken by the loss of a former student she stayed close with long after he left school.
“He was a cool kid with tons of potential,” she wrote. “He was most proud to be a father! He couldn’t stop telling me about the times he spent in that role.”
Britton said she and Sladen had talked often, not just about school but about life and struggles.
She said he would text her when he had something on his mind or something to celebrate, and that he became one of her favorite people.
His mother, Jennifer Adams, responded to one of the tributes by saying, “He mentioned your name multiple times and he said you were always there to talk, thank you for loving and caring for my sweet boy!!”
Another friend, Savana Richardson, said she would miss the way he could make anyone laugh or smile.
She wrote, “You’ll forever be one of my best friends. Rest easy Sladen Adams. You deserved better than what life gave you.”
Other comments carried the same kind of pain and affection. One person wrote, “He was a great person at heart and I know he will be missed by many.”
Another said, “So sorry for your loss. I will say a prayer for him and his family.” A third added, “The family is hurting. This one is definitely gone too soon.”
For those who knew him, Sladen was not just a name in an obituary. He was a father, a son, a brother, a friend and a young man who still had so much life ahead of him.
He is survived by his mother, Jennifer Adams and Jeremy May of Evansville; his father, Ed Adams and wife Tina of Lawrenceville; his children Cash and Junie; his grandmothers Sherry Potts and Karen Martin; his step brothers Peyton Devin and Tanner Gray; his niece Ellie Gray; and several aunts and other loved ones.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Lester “Bub” Potts, his paternal grandfather, Ed Adams, and his paternal great grandmother, Nancy Eagleson.
Sladen Adams will be remembered for his smile, his love for his children, his loyalty to the people around him and the way he made others feel seen and valued. For the people who loved him, that is the part that will stay.
