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I know this may sound silly to you, but I’m doing genealogy research. My great-grandfather’s death certificate says he died of APOFLEXY. Could you please explain what that was. The date was 1902 and he was 69 years old

Your question isn’t silly. Genealogy research, if carefully done, can reveal much about patterns of disease in a family that may have hereditary origins. In fact, the family history that’s a standard part of a medical evaluation includes a shortened version of one’s genealogy. It also asks for information about inherited diseases and those that may be transmitted within a family setting, such as tuberculosis or hepatitis.
Your problem in identifying your grandfather’s illness is that the word should have been spelled APOPLEXY. As a genealogist, you know the problems of reading old records that commonly are faded and contain poor spelling and penmanship. (Such research is for people with unusual patience and perseverance, combined with the instincts of a Sherlock Holmes. I know. My wife has been doing serious genealogy for more than 30 years.)
Apoplexy is an archaic term of Greek origin for stroke — a condition involving either an obstructed artery to the brain or bleeding within the brain (intracranial hemorrhage). Apoplexy was less commonly used to indicate massive bleeding into other organs, but it would be a reasonably safe bet to conclude that your great-grandfather died of a stroke. And a stroke at age 69 is a clue that high blood pressure may have been in the picture as well.