Carole Ann Sexton

Carole Ann Reece Sexton, age 71, of Stone Mountain, passed away peacefully on June 26, 2016 after a long, courageous battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband, Rick Sexton, her sons Tom (Cindy) Apgar of Johns Creek and Richard (Cindy) Apgar of Sandy Springs; Rick's daughter's Loren (Bob) Means of Suwanee and Leah Sexton of Tucker; her grandchildren Callian & Ashley Apgar, Bailey & Jackson Apgar, Caroline & Will Means; her mother, Estelle Hodges Reece of Dunwoody; and her sister, Debe (Henry) Jacobs of Atlanta. She is preceded in death by her father Vaughn Reece of Decatur, Georgia.
Carole was born on June 23, 1945 in Dublin, Georgia, to parents Vaughn and Estelle Reece. She attended Avondale High School and then graduated from Samford University in 1967 with a degree in English. She was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority while at Samford. She married John Thomas Apgar in 1966 and began her teaching career. She taught until their first son, Tom, was born and then dedicated herself to raising him and his younger brother, Richard. Her family was her greatest joy in life and she and Tom Apgar, Sr. were married for 21 years.
In 1987, Carole returned to teaching beginning at Southwest DeKalb High School and then at Columbia High School. She impacted the lives of countless students throughout the years and shared her passion of reading and literature with them. She married Rick in 1989 and her family then included his two daughters, Loren and Leah. Carole retired in 2005 after teaching in the DeKalb County School System for over 20 years.
Carole's joys in life were spending time with her husband Rick, doting on her six grandchildren, gardening, and playing tennis with her close friends in Smoke Rise. She and Rick became members of the Big Canoe Chapel, attending services there after they purchased a weekend home in Big Canoe in 2012. She was especially close to all of her grandchildren and loved nothing more than being surrounded by all of them and attending their many activities. Her highest priority was her family and many of her best memories came from several family vacations to Hilton Head, South Carolina where her sons and Rick's daughters, their families and her mother would all spend time together. She was the center of their family, the epitome of grace and love and will be sorely missed.
Visitation with the family will be held at A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home in Decatur from 6-8 pm on Wednesday, June 29. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 30 at 1 pm at Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain with Rev. R. Len Walker, Jr. officiating. Burial will be immediately following at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. Flowers will be accepted at the funeral home or donations may be made in her memory to the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance at www.gaovariancancer.org or mailed to them at 6065 Roswell Rd., Suite 512, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.

Funeral Home:
A. S. Turner & Sons
2773 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033