Sandra "Jean" D'Aprile

Sandra “Jean” D’Aprile died quietly on Monday, December 24, 2018, at her home at Buckingham’s Choice retirement community in Adamstown, Maryland. She was 77 years old. Jean was born on May 9, 1941 to Morris and Alice Frankel in New York City, NY, along with her only sibling, Kenneth Frankel.

Jean was a graduate from the University of Maryland with a bachelors degree in mathematics and a masters degree in education. She taught fifth and sixth grade mathematics in the Montgomery County School System. She loved cooking and travel and had been all over Europe and Asia, the South Pacific, and Australia. Jean was probably best known for her amazing hospitality: warm inviting barbecues and dinner parties, especially one every year on Christmas Eve.

Though Jean was born in New York City, she grew up in Washington, DC. Jean’s father was an avid outdoorsman, so Jean grew up going to parks, camping, hiking, canoeing, and swimming. They also visited museums and there was always music playing or her father singing in her home. But no matter what Jean was exposed to, she was always her own person with her own interests.

Jean could be stubbornly determined. Her mother often told the story of how Jean wanted a television when TV first came out; however, her parents couldn’t afford one. Jean’s mother informed Jean that she could have a TV, only if she could save up half of the money herself. Within a year, Jean had saved the money, to her mother’s complete surprise and amazement. Jean got her TV.

As her parents prospered, they began to travel more and brought their whole family along. This exposed Jean to the love of travel. Jean definitely caught the travel bug, and in her retirement, Jean also traveled extensively; it was one of her great joys.

Jean loved her family and was committed to her life-long friends. She maintained relationships with her school friends up to the time of her passing, and made many new friends along the way, especially among her neighbors. She was very social and loved to sit and visit or be out and about; a homebody she wasn’t. She loved a challenge too and joined many committees at her retirement community, until her health would no longer permit it.

Jean was a pistol.

Though her passing is difficult, it can be said Jean had a wonderfully full life filled with people she loved. Since Jean’s father was a photographer, there are literally hundreds of photos documenting her life. We will share a few here.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Victor Henry D’Aprile.

Jean is survived by her three children, Patrice M. Scott, Michael W. Lee, and Vincent D. D’Aprile; by her grandchildren, Sean, Bryan, Anthony, Nicolette, Tiffany, Ted, and Gingle; and by her five great-grandchildren.

There will be a memorial service for Jean at 11 a.m. on Friday, January 11, 2019 at Buckingham’s Choice in Adamstown, Maryland. Inurnment will be held at Parklawn Memorial Park in Rockville, Maryland with her husband, Victor, at a later date.