John Samuel Apperson, IV

John Samuel Apperson IV, a devoted father, six-decade member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, real estate professional and immediate friend to all he met, died peacefully on October 30, 2023 after a long illness. His daughter, Elizabeth Ingles Apperson Adams, was by his side.

In addition to his daughter, John is survived by son-in-law, Keven Adams, and grandchildren, Maddie and Kellen Adams; brother, Thomas Apperson and wife Moira of New York City; sister, Ellen Brown of Otto, NC; niece, Kate Walters and husband Jeremy of Rabun Gap, Ga; nephew, David Brown of Weaverville, NC, and grandchildren, Asher and Zoe Walters.

John was born in Schenectady, NY in 1944 to John and Katharine Hill Apperson, both natives of Richmond, Va., who took deep pride in their family heritage and would soon pass that pride on to their first-born son. They started their married life in the northeast, after the father, John found employment with the General Electric Co. Then the young family moved to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, where younger brother Tom was born (1948), then back to Schenectady, where a sister, Ellen, was born (1950).

When John’s mother was diagnosed in 1952 with tuberculosis, she was hospitalized for 18 months in a sanitorium, the customary treatment of that time. The young children could not see her, but John, Tom and Ellen were blessed to have their uncle, Jim Apperson who drove to Schenectady from Lynn, Massachusetts most weekends to help care for the three young children, a testament to the Apperson family’s characteristic devotion to each other. Fortunately, mother and family were reunited in 1954 and the family moved to Erie, Pa. where young John enjoyed school activities, including sports and music. John played drums and admired Elvis Presley. He also developed an enthusiasm for and encyclopedic knowledge of cars. John could identify the grill of any car ever made and he wanted you to be able to as well.

In 1959, the family moved to Charlotte, NC, into a lovely home on Sterling Road in Myers Park, and John’s father found a sales position with an electrical firm out of Wisconsin. They joined Covenant Presbyterian Church, where the parents participated in circles and men’s clubs. John attended Myers Park High School, where he made lifelong friends before graduating in 1962. Among those cherished friends were Jane and Robert Taylor and Sadler Barnhardt.

John began his college career at Davidson but interrupted his studies to join the Army Reserves. He eventually enrolled at St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, NC, and graduated with a degree in economics. Over the next several years, he earned an MBA from SUNY Albany, and found employment with Arthur Anderson, a large accounting firm. He lived in Poughkeepsie, NY, and enjoyed leisure time at Lake George, NY, where his great uncle (another John Apperson) had earned renown as a preservationist, and who had bequeathed the family property at the lake. John moved back to Charlotte in the 1970s, found employment as a Realtor, and made a home for himself on Hassell Place, still within his close-knit Myers Park circle.

From 1976 to 1981 he was married to Miriam Murff, of Rock Hill, SC, and together they raised and cherished Ingles until John’s passing. When Ingles was born, John insisted she be named Ingles, a reference to her direct ancestor, Mary Draper Ingles, who was captured in the mid 1700s by Shawnee warriors, but escaped. Her story is recorded in the book and movie “Follow the River.”

Throughout his life John treasured his trips to Lake George where he could ride in the family’s 1920s Chris Craft wooden boat or row in antique canoes. One of his happiest memories was jumping off the dock at Lake George with daughter Ingles when she was a child.

John loved meeting new people and bending their ear about his family’s rich history, what buildings in Charlotte were important (or for sale), his favorite cars and his Davidson Wildcats. John also never let go of a family heirloom, whether Persian carpet, wooden skis or model trains. In his later years, John never missed his Monday-night volleyball game at the Charlotte Athletic Club and maintained a close relationship with Lee Shore, who joined him for weekly dinners.

John will be remembered for his deep love of family, his dedication to their history, his enjoyment of whatever conversation he was in at that moment, his loyalty to his church and his never-give-up hopes for his own future as well as that of his daughter, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. That is John’s legacy.

A service to celebrate John's life is on Tuesday, November 7th, 2023 at 1:00 PM, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1000 East Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28203. A private family burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery, 4426 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC 28205 at 11:00 AM that same day.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.McEwenPinevilleChapel.com for the Apperson family.