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Service:
11 a.m. Saturday, May 27 at St. John United Church
of Christ in Lincoln
Obituary
Richard (Dick) May, age 96, died
December 21 at the Ohio Living Swan Creek retirement
community in Toledo, Ohio where he had happily
resided in an Independent Living apartment for 20
years. Despite his age, Dick had remained mentally
sharp and engaged with life until his health quickly
deteriorated this fall.
Dick was born on July 11, 1926, on a farm near
Lawndale (Logan County), Illinois, the second of
nine children of Bernard and Mary Grace (Williamson)
May. During his childhood and high school years he
performed chores and worked in the fields along with
his siblings to help his parents operate the
homestead. He attended Lawndale Grade School, a
two-room schoolhouse, from 1932 to 1940 and then
entered Lincoln Community High School in the fall of
1940. During his high school years Dick played in
the concert and "swing" bands, was inducted into the
National Honor Society, and met the love of his life
- his future wife, Dorothy Lois Zurkammer. He
enlisted as an Army Air Corps cadet in his senior
year prior to graduating from LCHS in May 1944.
After graduation Dick attended Blackburn College in
Carlinville, Illinois for one semester, leaving when
he was inducted into the Army Air Corps in January
1945. During the last few months of World War 2 he
was stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi and Hobbs, New
Mexico and was honorably discharged in November
1945.
In January 1946 Dick enrolled in the College of
Engineering at Purdue University in Indiana. He
completed his studies in August 1949 earning a
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
On August 21, 1949, Dick was joined in holy
matrimony with Dorothy Lois at what was then St.
John's Evangelical & Reformed Church in Lincoln,
Illinois. The newlyweds moved to Toledo, Ohio where
they began a fulfilling life of 67 years together.
Dick commenced his 38-year career at the Toledo
Edison Company where during that time he was
assigned to the engineering, construction, and
administration departments. He was a lifetime member
of the (American) Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers and served as chairman of its
local chapter.
A morally strong role model and loving father, Dick
helped Dorothy Lois in raising three children to
become successful adults. He was an ardent tennis
player, fisherman, golfer, and bridge player during
his lifetime. Dick enjoyed many fly fishing trips to
Ontario, Canada with friends and co-workers. A
member of the Valleywood Golf Club in Swanton, Ohio,
he achieved the rare feat of making a hole-in-one
twice, the first while in his 60s and the second
when he was 85.
Dick was a member of the Barton Smith Masonic Lodge
where he served as Master and then as Secretary for
many years. As a member of the Zenobia Shrine of
Toledo, he played cornet in its concert band and
participated in Shriner events across the country.
Dick was also a member of the Toledo Polish American
Concert Band.
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During his years residing in the Swan
Creek Independent Living community, Dick enjoyed
playing contract bridge with friends, reading books
and biographies based on history, solving crossword
puzzles, and using his computer. He played in small
instrumental combos entertaining his fellow
residents of Swan Creek and enjoyed attending
concerts by the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, music
still being a meaningful part of his life until his
last days. Dick was also a loyal fan of Purdue
Boilermakers football and basketball, the Detroit
Tigers and Toledo Mudhens.
Dick had been a member of the Faith
Community United Church of Christ for over 50 years.
Dick was preceded in death in January 2017 by his
wife Dorothy Lois; brothers, G. William, M. Deane,
Robert, and James; sisters, Mary Lou Wilson, Helen
Haseley, and Dorothy Morrell; one niece; and three
nephews. He is survived by daughters, Susan Diane of
Mount Vernon, Ohio, Karen Anne of Seattle,
Washington; son, Alan Richard of The Woodlands,
Texas; granddaughters, Andrea (Kirk) Kissner of
Alexandria, Virginia, Elizabeth (Andrew Holt) May of
Los Angeles, California, and Caroline (Trever)
Johnson of Ansbach, Germany; great- grandchildren,
Declan and Elise Kissner; sister, Barbara Fink of
Belleville, Illinois; many cherished nieces and
nephews; and brothers-in-law, Dean Zurkammer of
Cypress, Texas and Virgil Morell of Lake Oswego,
Oregon.
A memorial service for Richard May will be held at
11:00 Saturday, May 27 at St. John United Church of
Christ in Lincoln.
In accordance with his wishes, the
family asks that any donations in Richard May's name
be sent to the Shriners Hospitals for Children
and/or the Salvation Army. |
Richard
"Dick" May