Juris Apse passed
away on November 15, 2018, very peacefully, and in his sleep. He died of
kidney failure at a Portland, Maine area hospice where he was surrounded by his
three children and lifelong friend Karen in his final days. Juris was born July
10, 1945 at a Displaced Persons camp in the British sector of Allied-occupied
Germany, after his parents Arvids and Gaida Apse fled Latvia with his older
siblings during World War II. The family left Germany in 1951 and Juris spent
his early years in Rochdale, Lancashire, UK. At the age of 13, Juris, his
parents, and his 4 siblings moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Juris quickly
proved himself a remarkable student graduating from high school at the age of
sixteen and enrolling in the University of Toronto. Juris began a
lifelong love of chemistry at University, which led to him pursue a doctorate
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in chemical engineering.
While at MIT, Juris became a standout scorer for the MIT Rugby Club, finding a
passion for sports that stuck with him through life.
At a bar in
Cambridge, Juris was quick to notice Astrida Strazdins wearing a traditional
Latvian ring, who was equally intrigued to see him wearing one, too. Astrida
was teaching in Boston, and upon completion of his PhD, Juris and Astrida were
married at the MIT Chapel and moved to Princeton, New Jersey. Juris took a
research and development position at Union Carbide (and eventually Dow
Chemical), where he had a long and successful career. In Princeton, Juris and
Astrida had three children and raised them in a wonderful environment where
education was as prized by the community as it was by them. After
retirement, Juris’ last decade was spent in Brunswick, Maine where he
volunteered for the Curtis Memorial Library, served on the Restoration Advisory
Board for the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, and volunteered as an AARP
tax preparer for those in need. He was also an avid student at the
Midcoast Senior College.
Juris was accepting
of his death and in his last days he spoke with gratitude about his full and
fortunate life. He was extremely proud of his three children and the
lives they have built. He, and his recently deceased wife Astrida, benefited
greatly from living their last decade in New England among their children and
spouses including Colin (Rachelle), Kira (Jeremy) and Stefan (Leigh) as well as
grandchildren Margot, Tobin, Graeme, Mara, and Miles.
The family will
celebrate Juris’ life in a private ceremony. Memorial donations in memory of
Juris may be made to Curtis Memorial Library (http://www.curtislibrary.com/annual-fund/) or Midcoast Senior
College (https://midcoastseniorcollege.org/donation-form/). Arrangements were
by Stetson’s Funeral Home 12 Federal St. Brunswick, Me 04011 where memorial
condolences may be expressed at stetsonsfuneralhome.com