Elise Juness Holgate, 36, of Bowie, Maryland, passed away on January 15, 2022 after a life-long battle with Sickle Cell Anemia. 

 Elise was born on December 20, 1985 to Gemma and Laiton Lenworth Holgate in Lewisham, London, England. She considered Newark-on-Trent, England home and also felt strongly connected to her roots in Trinidad & Tobago. She attended Kesteven and Grantham Girls School in Grantham, England and Bowie High School in Maryland, graduating in 2004. She went on to study Computer Science, for which she had an incredible passion. She was a jack of all trades as she managed her parents' business, ETIS Corporation. Elise was also always interested in discussing current events, history, and science. 

Not only did Elise excel in school, she was a scholarship dancer, winning awards for her performances; she loved teaching her niece and nephews dance steps. Elise was an accomplished artist, her work was featured on the covers of several publications in the United Kingdom. Along with art and dance, Elise was an accomplished poet; her love for journalism and writing is what often got her through tough times in the hospital. Elise became a runway model for Barbizon and only stopped due to having poor health. Though she battled sickle cell anemia, she was able to lead a very eclectic life.

 In 2019, she met Jonathan Appleman, and they were engaged in 2020. They gave birth to their adorable, happy and incredibly active son Alexander Jacob Appleman in March of 2021. This allowed Elise to accomplish what she wanted in life - to love, be loved, and to have a family of her own. She was incredibly in love with both Jonathan and Alexander. Family was important to her. She and Jonathan dreamed of all the places they would travel and the adventures they'd experience as a family. It would be important to Elise for them to see the world and experience those dreams. 

 Elise had an incredible love for Alexander, and wanted him to be loved by everyone. She was passionate about teaching her son to follow his own path and chase his dreams. It was important to Elise that Alexander was healthy and didn't face the same medical challenges she faced throughout her lifetime. Elise excelled at propping up her family and friends and supporting them through the many passions and difficulties of their lives. Whether that was a childhood friend through relationships, other sickle cell patients through their treatments, or her niece and nephews in their dance recitals and soccer games, she made it her mission to enrich and improve the lives of others. 

 Elise was an advocate and motivational speaker for Sickle Cell Awareness and worked with the Rana Pediatric Fund through Howard University to educate, support and advocate for children with sickle cell and other chronic diseases. Elise was dedicated to improving treatment options for sickle cell patients and supporting research to develop cures for sickle cell disease. 

 Elise immediately lit up any room she entered and made an impact on so many people. She was a joyful presence with her colorful clothes, beautiful hair, creative fashion choices, and bubbly personality. She loved her friends and family, and filled her home with warmth and kindness. Just like her nephew Harrison, her favorite color was rainbow, and we would like her celebration of life to be full of vibrancy, color and joyful music. We will miss her greatly. 

  Elise was preceded in death by her grandmother Jean Bailey and father Laiton Lenworth Holgate. She is survived by her mother Gemma Calliste, stepfather Earl Calliste, her fiancé Jonathan Appleman, son Alexander Appleman; Jonathan's father Donn Appleman and mother Joyce Erb-Appleman, sister and brother-in-law Emily and Doug Morford and their children William, Harrison and Sutton; ***brothers Laiton Jr., Dale Delaney, Dwayne, Christopher, and Javael, sister Lennina Holgate, stepbrother Bryant Calliste, aunts Janice Lezama and Runda Bailey, uncles Juel Bailey and Francis Bailey, and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews in the US, UK, and Trinidad and Tabago. 

The family requests that colorful flowers and notes are sent to Gemma Calliste at 11016 Lake Victoria Lane, Bowie, MD 20720 or Joyce & Donn Appleman at 6301 Ridge Run Ct., Glenn Dale, MD 20769. 

There will be a viewing at 10am on Thursday, January 27, 2022, followed by a short funeral service at 11am at Solid Rock Full Gospel Baptist Church at 7711 Walker Mill Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. The service will be followed with a joyful Celebration of Life at 1pm at Post Park Maryland, 3300 East-West Highway, Hyattsville, Maryland. Please wear vibrant, happy colors, like in a rainbow. The family requests that no one wear black or white.

If you would like to make a donation to Alexander's college fund and expenses please see the donation section of this site. Please also post memories, condolences, photos and/or videos of Elise on this website. We will be making a book and a quilt of memories for Alexander where we will memorialize loving comments, photos, and pieces of her colorful wardrobe so he can learn about all who his mother impacted. Your comments will be invaluable to Alexander as he grows and wants to learn more about his amazing mother. 

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