Neal Gary Appel
October 18, 1946 ~ September 4, 2026
Born in:
Kew Garden Hills, New York
Resided in:
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Asheville Butterfly TrailOur beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, entrepreneur, traveler and friend passed away surrounded by his loving wife, children and puppy Max after a life that truly seemed to contain nine lives.
Born October 18, 1946 in Kew Garden Hills, NY, Neal was the son of Sidney and Pearl Appel. His journey through life took him from New York to Montreal to New Jersey and eventually North Carolina. He attended Weequahic High School and graduated from Hillside High School before receiving his degree from Rutgers School of Pharmacy in 1970.
Neal built a long and successful career as a pharmacist and business owner. He owned Circle Pharmacy and Channel Plaza Pharmacy in Brick, NJ where he became a familiar and trusted presence in the community. He worked in many other facets of Pharmacy including Hospital settings and Consulting. He retired in 2008 after working on the Sho-Pai Indian Reservation in Nevada.
In 2012, he embarked on a new adventure and opened the Asheville Salt Cave with his daughter Jodie. It was one of the many examples of his entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to always try something new.
Neal loved to travel, enjoyed photography, loved sharing jokes and lived a life full of stories, adventures and unexpected turns. He faced numerous challenges along the way, but always managed to come through. It was one of the reasons his family liked to say that he had nine lives.
Neal will be remembered for the “nine lives” he lived, the businesses he built and most of all the people he loved.
Neal was devoted to his family. He was predeceased by his brothers, Steven (Donna) and Clifford (Mariann). He is survived by his wife Beth, of 58 years, his children Scott Appel, Aimee Yllanes (Luis), and Jodie Appel (Mark), his grandchildren, Sydney and Makai Yllanes, several nieces and nephews and his beloved puppy Max.
May his spirit be so expansive and free that we always feel his light.
In lieu of flowers please consider making a Donation in his memory to: Congregation Beth Israel 229 Murdock Avenue, Asheville, NC 28804; Davita Kidney Care 1250 E. 7th Ave., Hendersonville, NC 28739 or any other charity of your choice.
I am so sorry for your loss. He was such a kind man b
My heart hurts for your loss… I always looked forward to Neal’s hello and smile. Beth, I will be thinking of you and the family.
May his memory be a blessing
Beth, Scott, Aimee and Jodie,
Please accept our sincere condolences upon the passing of your dear Neal. Your fondest memories of him will eventually become a treasure for you, and someday they and the passage of time will bring healing to you and your family. Neal was a very special person, and a great many people benefited from his influence. It is our prayer that God may comfort you and that Neal’s memory be a blessing to all who knew him.
Baruch Dayan Haemet.
May his memory be for a blessing.
Regards to you beth and the family
As his journey changed, I was honored to be there with him as he made some very difficult and deeply personal decisions about his care and his wishes. He faced those decisions with courage and dignity, and I will always be grateful that he trusted me to be a part of that journey.
Some patients touch your heart in a way that stays with you long after they leave the treatment chair. Neal was one of those special people. I cared about him very much, and I will miss seeing him, talking with him, and being a small part of his life.
It was an honor to care for him, and an even greater honor to know him.
Rest peacefully, Neal. You will be missed and remembered with great affection.
Beth and family,
Jay and I are so very sorry for your excruciating loss. I’m glad we got to see you and Neal at Carolyn and Steve’s not that long ago. I will remember him by his photography and the time we spent together sitting outside CBI’s Social Hall and running the payments. That was the year that Covid was still around and they were only letting a certain number of people into the sale at a time. We were safer to be outside, as I recall.It was so much fun to be with him.
Baruch Dayan Haemet.
May his memory be for a blessing.
Love to you and your whole family.
Marlene and Jay
Beth, Scott, Aimee, Jodi and pup Max There aren’t enough words to say how much we loved and respected Neal.. he and Beth moved up the street the same time we did in The Willows and we bonded and became great friends with them..we enjoyed hearing what their children and grands were doing and they enjoyed hearing about ours.. every time we saw Neal he always asked “how are the kids and grands” to know Neal was to love Neal..we will always miss and love Neal very much.. Rest in Peace our dear friend and neighbor ♥️🙏 May each of you find comfort and Peace. Love y’all more
Neal was a kind and funny guy. It was a pleasure to know him as our neighbor. He is now at peace and we will keep you and the family in our prayers.
Jean and Amy
Neal you will be missed.
Beth and family, my dogs and I hold you up in prayer. Y’all are an amazing family.