Wall Schools Icon Eva Applegate Mourned

WALL, NJ — Eva Applegate, who served on the Wall Township Board of Education for nearly 28 years, is being remembered for the breadth of service to the school district and her community.

Funeral services are scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 30 for Mrs. Applegate, who died Dec. 23 at the age of 80 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune. She had been hit by a car while crossing the street in Manasquan in early October, a Coast Star report said.

While Mrs. Applegate served her community in many ways, it is her service to the school district that has been most well-known. According to her obituary on the Orender Funeral Home website, her involvement with the Wall schools began in 1977 when her daughter was a member of the Wall High School band. As a band booster parent, she was known for making huge "vats" of Kool-Aid or hot chocolate, lugging containers that seemed larger than her to each and every game. She went on to chair multiple committees, and eventually was elected to the Wall Township Board of Education in 1986. Eva eventually completed the longest tenure as an elected official in Wall Township history, serving for 27 years, 8 months, including four stints as the school board president. She oversaw the passing of the 1998 building referendum, that provided the district with state-of-the-art science labs and other expanded facilities, and she served on every Wall Township Board of Education committee.

She was beloved by teachers and students alike for her dedication to education. She also had great pride in the Wall football team, missing very few games over the years.

Even after she retired from the school board she continued to volunteer in the school system, attending every single in-school event possible, from concerts, art shows, and field days, to Dr. Seuss Day, and Read Across America, just to name a few.

Eva loved music and played trumpet at Manasquan High School. That love of music led to Mrs. Applegate becoming very involved in the music departments of the Wall schools. She organized the band uniforms and ran the new school year fitting sessions. She helped start the 4th grade violin program. She also helped inventory instruments and was a familiar sight on the buses as a band chaperone. She fought to ensure the arts department throughout the system was maintained to the highest degree possible.

Eva also worked on Project Graduation for many years, to ensure high school seniors had a safe, fun culmination of their high school years.

The renaming of the Wall High School auditorium as the "Eva Applegate Theater" in 2014 was an especially high honor that she was both extremely grateful for and proud of receiving.

In addition to her service to the Wall schools, Eva also put her musical talents to use, playing piano and directing the choir at Laurelton Baptist Church, a position she held for many years. When Pastor Fisher retired, she joined Grace Bible Church in Wall, where she was still a very active member and loved participating in church functions such as the food bank and Project Christmas.

Eva was the proud recipient of many awards as a result of her tireless volunteerism. That list included the Wall Township Community Relations Alliance Committee Volunteer Award in 2004; the New Jersey School Board Associate Milestone Award for 20 years of service in 2006; the Wall Foundation for Educational Excellence Hall of Fame in 2008; an Honorary Life Membership to the Tri-M Music Honor Society; the JFK Valor Award for her service to her community; and an official proclamation honoring Eva for 27 years, eight months of consecutive service as an elected member of the Wall Township Board of Education.

Eva loved to attend many of her grandchildren’s games and concerts as well. She loved seeing Eric and Cadi play ice hockey for the Brick Stars, Matthew and Ryan’s Little League games and school concerts, and Aimee’s chorus concerts and performances at the Performing Arts Academy high school. She enjoyed watching Elizabeth and Victoria progress through the school system she loved and grow up to be beautiful women. Eva was a frequent fixture at their choral events, dance squad performances and ROTC activities.

Eva will always be loved and remembered by her family. She was Mother to Howard and his wife Janet of Manasquan, Sharon of Brick, and Scott and his wife Lisa of Hamilton. She was Grandma to seven grandchildren: Elizabeth, Victoria, Eric, Aimee, Cadi, Matthew and Ryan. She also is survived by her sister Barbara (Deufel) and many nieces and nephews. Eva was predeceased by her parents, Edward and Angela Naden of Manasquan; her husband, George W. Applegate of Wall; and her siblings, Lorraine and Theodore.

Her funeral is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 30, at Grace Bible Church, 4041 Squankum-Allenwood Rd, Allenwood, NJ 08720.

One of Eva’s last school projects was to replace the lighting in the Eva Applegate Theater in Wall High School. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to complete her mission, via the Crimson Knights Foundation, PO Box 1502, Wall, NJ 07719.

Eva Applegate photo via Wall Patch 2013 report