Dr. Sidney Apps

Dr. Sidney Apps, like many of his generation, owed his existence to World War II.
It was during WWII that Sgt. Alonzo A. Apps, of Burlingame, Kan., found himself in England patching the sheet metal on war-ravaged B-24 bombers, and there where he met and fell in love with Emma Dodds, of Darlington, County Durham, who wound up a war bride and found herself transported to Topeka, Kan.
On Dec. 18, 1956, with two children already in tow (a fourth would follow), Emma gave birth to Sidney, who passed away Oct. 2, 2024, in Mesa, Ariz. He was 67.
Sid is survived by, a son, Alekzander A. Apps, a daughter, Caraleigh Cosette Apps, both of Mesa, and a grandson, Decklin. His brother, Robert Apps, of South Dakota, and his sister, Penny (Mel) Guffey, of Topeka, and his former wife, Kimberly J. Apps. He was preceded in death by his father, Alonzo (1981), his mother, Emma (2021), and his sister, Carol Apps (2001).
Sid grew up in Topeka’s Oakland neighborhood and received his K-12 education at State Street Elementary, Holiday Junior High and Topeka High School, where he survived a harrowing fire as a sophomore while trapped in a locker room with classmate Dean Smith.
Sid was an accomplished singer, and music played a vital role in his life. He began singing in junior high school and at Oakland United Methodist Church and participated in the Kansas State High School Activities Association annual music festival from ninth through 12th grades, earning the highest rating of “1” as a soloist all four years. He was a paid soloist at many churches, weddings, and funerals around the Topeka area.
In high school, under the baton of Elbert Fly, Sid sang in the choir was a member of the school’s elite Madrigals singing group as a junior and a senior, serving as student director his senior year. He had roles in two musicals: “The Roar of the Greasepaint The Smell of the Crowd” and “The Music Man,” leading the acclaimed barbershop quartet in the latter.
Sid went on to study vocal music at Washburn University under the late Gordan Gaines, majoring in vocal performance, and was a member of the Washburn Singers choral ensemble for two years under the direction of the late Floyd Hedberg.
After his time at Washburn, Sid continued to sing while working as a paramedic in Lawrence and Topeka. In 1982, he was accepted into the Doctor of Chiropractic Program at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. After graduating from Palmer in 1985 and passing the Arizona Board of Chiropractic licensing exam that same year, Sid opened practices in Fountain Hills and Phoenix and enjoyed a highly successful career as a chiropractor until he retired in 2005.
In Arizona, his music career reached a new level. Sid was a tenor soloist for the Scottsdale Symphony Chorale in 1985 and ’86, joined the Arizona Opera Company in 1987 and became a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists. He also performed the national anthem for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Suns and Arizona Coyotes sports franchises, in addition to many other organizations, including the annual American Legion Memorial Day celebration in Fountain Hills.
While in Fountain Hills, Sid was a member of the Sunset Kiwanis, where he administrated the college scholarship fund that awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships to high school seniors. He also was elected to the Town of Fountain Hills Town Council, serving from 1996 to 2000. During his time as a council member, Sid helped administer the preservation of the popular Fountain Park Overlook Trail.
After retiring as a chiropractor, Sid dipped into his bucket list and moved to Nashville, Tenn., where, from 2009-15, he crossed off an item by becoming a published songwriter and a member of the Tennessee Songwriters Association International.
Sid lived in Phoenix and Topeka before returning to Fountain Hills in 2022. There will be a private memorial service in Fountain Hills. Contributions in memorial can be made to: Tennessee Songwriters Association International, 2416 Music Valley Drive, Nashville, TN, 37214.