FORT MILL, SC ~ Mildred May Apgar went home to be with the Lord on November 19, 2024, at the age of 97. Born on May 17, 1927, in Staten Island, New York, to George and Mildred Decker, she lived a simple childhood with her siblings, older sister Audrey Giachetti, and younger siblings Ethel Bench and George Decker, Jr., walking to school and church.

She went through grammar school quickly, skipping two grades and graduated from Curtis High School on Staten Island in 1943 at the age of 16. Following her graduation from high school, she had several jobs in various fields in New York City, her last one being the Administrative Assistant to the CFO of The Anaconda Company. In 1947, she married Clarence "Joe" Nelson and together they raised four children in a home Joe and her father built in the Annadale area of Staten Island, New York.

In 1989, she married Donald Apgar, and they split their time between Toms River, New Jersey, and Stuart, Florida, where she enjoyed walking along the ocean and painting. She was a gifted artist, and several of her watercolors and oil paintings are displayed around her home. Music was also a love of hers; she loved to play her organ and sing anything from Broadway tunes to her favorite hymns. If there is one word that describes Mildred's 97 years, it would be joyful. She lived life to the fullest and was always the life of the party. Her joy was contagious to anyone she was around.

Mildred is survived by her sister, Ethel Bench; son, Robert Nelson and his wife Deborah; daughters, Linda Curry and her husband James, Nancy Haug, and Beverly DeLigny and her husband Greg. She was adored by eight grandchildren, Kerry Loucks, Jeff Sorensen, Cheryl Johnson, Kevin Nelson, Dan Sorensen, Kelly Ann Herriman, Gregory DeLigny, Jr., and John Haug III. She was also blessed with nine great-grandchildren, Jake Loucks, Derek Louks, Whitney Johnson, Natalie Johnson, Brandan Sorensen, Anthony Sorensen, Gabriella Sorensen, Maya Sorensen and Liam DeLigny. She also was loved by several nieces and nephews.

The Celebration of Life Service for Mildred will be 11:00 am Monday, November 25, 2024, at The Chapel of Burgess Funeral Home officiated by Rev. Catlin Rollings.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 -11:00 am, one hour prior to the service, at Burgess Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her memory to St. Jude's Children's Hospital or the VFW.