Wallace Henry "Wally" Appel Jr.

Wallace Henry Appel, Jr. (Wally), 99, of Venice, Florida, died of natural causes on Thursday, August 21, 2025.

He was born in Boston, Mass. on September 10, 1925 to Wallace and Isabella Appel. He was raised in Cranston, Rhode Island and lived most of his adult life in Ohio and Florida. He vividly remembers the 1938 hurricane known as "The Wind that Shook the World" that struck his Rhode Island town.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in July of 1943 during WWII. After a year stationed on the sub chaser 842 he was selected for officer training and was sent to Penn State University. While a cadet, he met and later married Marjorie Triebold.

After serving he attended Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 1950 with a BFA in Industrial Design. He started working for Westinghouse Electric Corp. in Mansfield, Ohio as an industrial designer and eventually became a manager.

He moved to Upper Arlington, Ohio where he and Marjorie raised their three daughters. He returned to Mansfield in 1969 as the Vice President of Design for WCI International Division and traveled around the world. He received numerous patents for his industrial designs.

He retired in 1991 and moved to Venice, Florida. He and Marjorie were active community members of Pinebrook. As president of the Venice Art Center (1995-1998) Wally was instrumental in raising funds for the center's expansion. He was a lifetime honorary member of the center.

Wally was an avid reader and an accomplished painter and sculptor. Art was his passion. One could often find him in his home studio surrounded by his canvases, brushes and paints. He received numerous awards for his work and enjoyed painting up until the end of his life.

Marjorie died in 2007; they had been married for 59 years. Later Wally met Molly Gockley and they enjoyed a loving relationship until Molly passed away in 2018.

Remaining to cherish his memory are his three daughters Linda Engle, Donna Bowles (Walter Bowles), and Sandra Homer (David Homer); his three step-children Sally McFall (David McFall), Stephanie Pressman (Anthony Greco), and Brian Gockley (Angela Gockley).

He is also survived by his five grandchildren Steven Adamescu, Andrew Woltjen, Julia Thomas (Jeff Thomas), Jillian Beinhart (George Beinhart), Rosemary Homer, and his five great-grandchildren Tiffany Stonehouse, Skyler Adamescu, Jet Thomas, Jackson Beinhart, and Emma Beinhart. He will be sadly missed by several nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Spring in North Carolina. Memorial donations may be sent to Affinity Care Hospice, 8590 Potter Park Drive, Suite B, Sarasota, Fl 34238.