Nancy Lou Apsey

Nancy Lou Apsey passed away on the morning of July 10, 2025 at the age of 94.

Born in Piqua, Ohio, of parents Ted and Dorothy Thomas, Nancy was the eldest of four children. She and her family moved to Grand Rapids Michigan, where she attended South High School.

In May of 1950 Nancy married the love of her life, Theodore (Ted) Apsey. They spent the next 62 years together, until Ted passed away in 2013. During that time Nancy dedicated her life to taking care of Ted and their 4 children, always providing a clean house, good cooking and a loving home.

In recent years Nancy would often tell people that it seemed like she was always moving, packing and unpacking, which was actually true. Beginning soon after marriage, Ted joined the U.S. Air Force and they moved to the base in Illinois, where Nancy gave birth to Gary, their first son. Ted was then transferred to a base in Japan, where their first daughter, Valorie was born. After finishing Ted’s military service, the family of four moved to back Grand Rapids, where Nancy brought two more children into the world; a second daughter, Linda and finally a second son, Thomas.  Over the years moving became a way of life, as husband Ted was always in search of better and higher paying jobs. Being devoted to Ted, Nancy dutifully packed up the family’s things and supervised the loading of their furniture and belongings into the moving vans, always without complaint. As for the moves, there were many: Granada Hills California (twice), Dayton Ohio, Tempe AZ, Colorado Springs and Scottsdale AZ. Then, after Ted retired, he and Nancy built a home in Fountain Hills where they lived, until they moved to Prescott AZ where they built another new home. After a while they moved to Dewey AZ, after which they moved to Mesa AZ, where they lived until Ted’s passing in 2013. Nancy remained there until she moved to Casa Grande AZ, to live with her daughter, Linda and husband Dennis, in 2019. Her last move was to a nice apartment in Mesa, with the help of son Thomas and his wife, Debbie, in February 2025, where she lived comfortably until her passing.

Nancy filled those last months doing the things she loved, watching her favorite TV shows like Matlock, Murder She Wrote, classic movies and DIY home improvement shows. Most of all, she enjoyed watching Arizona Diamondbacks baseball, which she followed religiously for years. She spent time every day looking at her collection of photos, remembering all the good times traveling with Ted to Hawaii, New Zealand and Yosemite, and later to Hawaii again with son Gary and wife Sandie and her mother, Helen in 2013.  Nancy also stayed with daughter Valorie and husband Tommy in Missouri for 6 weeks, where they took her to Branson and other local attractions. She hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon after having survived breast cancer, and worked alongside Ted in their small business, “Apsey’s Custom Cases”. She also loved painting landscapes and still lifes in oil and watercolors. She was very thankful to still have wonderful memories of those accomplishments. Nancy will be remembered by all who knew her as warm and loving, quick to smile, full of joy and a spicy baseball fan.

Nancy is survived by her four children, five grandchildren, six great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother John, sisters Marilyn and Teena, and their families, sister-in-law Donna and numerous nieces, nephews and their children.

The family expresses heartfelt gratitude to Hospice of the Valley at Friendship Village in Tempe Arizona for the care they gave in her last days.

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.