Juris I. Apse Obituary (1945 - 2018)

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