Surrounded by her loving family, April Michele Appleton, a lovely mother of two, committed Christian, business entrepreneur, and championship athlete, passed away into the presence of the Lord she worshipped and adored on Wednesday afternoon, July 29, 2020. April now dwells in the House of the Lord forever. She was a resident of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama and the owner and founder of Appleton Therapies LLC and “Wellness on Wheels.”
Born June 29, 1980 in Huntsville, Alabama, April Michele Appleton was the daughter of Clara Lynn Townsend Appleton and the late Paul Appleton. April was born again at the early age of nine upon her confession of faith in Christ Jesus during a revival at the Taylor’s Chapel Primitive Baptist Church, which was co-founded nearly 120 years ago by her maternal great-great grandparents and a few other saints. Obedient to the beck and call of the Holy Spirit, and to God’s Word, she became a new person in Christ. That is not a cliché. As a youth, she took the words of Roman 6:23 to heart: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” April was baptized by Pastor James Lane on August 6, 1989.
Saved, redeemed, sanctified, and filled with this life-giving knowledge of the Father and the Son, April M. Appleton possessed a contagious faith. April loved the sacred precinct of Taylor’s Chapel and its Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, revivals and worship services. As a young lady, April became a member of the All Nations Worship Assembly, which is also located on Stringfield Road. April loved the Lord, and she lived her faith, she lived by faith, and she died in her faith. April was steadfast, immovable and always excelling in the work of the Lord. She knew her toil is not in vain in the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58).
April was the devoted and doting mother of two cherished children, a son, Amari Christian Williams, and a daughter, Nadia Simone Tyler. April was the lovely and ever-loving daughter of Clara Lynn Townsend Appleton, whom she adored, because “their souls were knit together,” and the forever big sister of Captain Melanie Dawn Appleton. Theirs was a special sisterly bond.
April was preceded in death by her father, Paul Appleton and her adored brother, Brian Paul Appleton, whom she missed for the balance of her life. April was the much-loved maternal granddaughter of Elder John B. Townsend and Arcie Studdard Townsend, both of whom also preceded her in death. She was predeceased by her paternal grandfather, Robert Appleton. Courageous and faithful in the Lord during her final affliction, April was adorned with salvation, as the psalmist wrote. “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people; He will beautify the meek with salvation” (Psalm 149:4).
April Appleton was a successful and stellar product of the Huntsville city school system, including West Mastin Lake Elementary School, Edward H. White Middle School, and J.O. Johnson High School. She excelled as a scholar and as a student athlete at Ed White Middle School and J.O. Johnson High School, graduating in 1998. In addition to other sports, she loved playing basketball, a game she picked up with her brother and sister, Brian and Melanie.
Adorned with number 35 emblazoned on her basketball jersey, April was a top-tier “nothing-but-nets” player at Ed White Middle School. Wearing the royal blue and gold, April was a starting varsity player for the Lady Jaguars, a top-flight high school hoops program, along with her sister Melanie. April was royalty on the court. Fierce competitors, the Appleton sisters always showed up to play. They were poetry in motion.
Given her passion for fitness and her love for others, April eventually enrolled in Virginia College in Huntsville from 2009-2011, where she earned an Associate’s Degree with honors in Applied Science with a specialization in Therapeutic Massage. Over the course of the next two years, April also studied Medical Billing and Coding at Virginia College, 2012-2013. She completed her course of study and next degree with honors and April was inducted into the Alpha Kappa Honor Society. April was a former Certified Professional Coder (CPC-A).
After embarking on a career as a Licensed Massage Therapist, April established Appleton Therapies LLC in May 2016. April’s vision was one “of establishing a clinic/facility for individuals seeking wholeness and wellness to improve their quality of life through natural, holistic and therapeutic means.” Ever entrepreneurial, April also launched another business venture. She was the owner and founder of “Wellness on Wheels.” In her business ventures, April appeared in episodes of “Love & Marriage Huntsville” on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
April was living proof that beauty is more than skin-deep. In addition to being spiritually charismatic or spiritually gifted, she also had a charismatic personality and persona. She was beautiful, and hers was a beautiful soul. She knew full well the meaning of the immortal words of Saint Peter: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (I Peter 3: 3-4, NIV).
From the bottom of her heart, her sister Melanie paid April the greatest accolade: “April was my best friend.” Right from the start, April possessed that rarified gift of being so well-liked that she seemed to light up a room just by walking into it. This was her “secret sauce” or “special sauce” in life. Her special brilliance will never fade from our lives. When she talked to someone, she made that person feel like he or she was the most important person in the room. April Michele Appleton had a winning smile, which was her distinctive superpower, and a genuine and genteel laughter that filled her eyes and decorated her life, and the lives of others.
Magnanimously and generously, April loved others, and she was beloved. In addition to being comely, April was a great soul. Her faith in Christ Jesus was equally as contagious. Some presumed she was happy-go-luck, foot-loose and fancy-free. But in the four seasons of her life April always knew, as a child of God, that there is “A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
April possessed infinite patience and love in her heart for others. In her own words, April described herself this way: “She loves the outdoors and adventurous activities, as well as movies, games, and fun social gatherings. She loves family! And is very much into fitness, health and wellness, and being an active member not only in her church, but the church community.”
As a committed Christian, and as a consummate professional, April’s overarching professional goals were “to help individuals lead and live a healthy life.” It was one of April’s topmost personal goals too. Those words of self-description and self-awareness are her testimony too. Hers was a life well-lived in the fullness of Christ. As her head touched her dying pillow, and trusting in the Lord, as she did all the days of her life, April could truly say: “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Hers is now the life eternal.
April Michele Appleton’s life was a gift from God to her family. Her life “continues perpetually into eternity.” April leaves to cherish her memory, her children: Amari Christian Williams and Nadia Simone Tyler; her mother: Clara Lynn Townsend Appleton; her sister Captain Melanie Dawn Appleton; her paternal grandmother, Mrs. Maggie Appleton; two nieces: Alexis Brianna Appleton and Kenyetta Bri Anne Appleton; and a grandniece; Brayelle Ann-Marie Appleton. She joins other loved ones in eternal rest. Her beloved brother, Brian Paul Appleton, passed away before her death, as did her father, Paul Appleton, and her grandfather, Robert Appleton. At God’s throne, April is surrounded in heaven by other precious loved ones, including her maternal grandparents: Arcie Studdard Townsend and Elder John B. Townsend.
Others left behind to cherish beautiful memories of April Michele Appleton are numerous. They include her many uncles and aunts and their spouses and children. Her aunts include: Alice Appleton (Johnny) McDonald; Beverly Townsend Hammonds; Amelia (James) Moore; Linda Townsend; Loretta (Willie) Brown; Glenda Townsend (John) Woods; Reba Pope; Dr. Thelma Townsend; Betty Jean (Billy) Robinson; and Dianne Townsend.
In addition, April is survived by her uncles: Lorenzo D. (Annie) Townsend of San Diego, California; Saul Appleton; Anthony (Valerie) Townsend; Elbert Appleton; and John B. (Frances) Townsend II, of Mitchellville, Maryland. Her great-aunts and great-uncle include: Margaret P. Dawkins and James (Joyce) Pearson; and a host of cousins, relatives, kith and kin, and friends.
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