Shirley J. May

On Wednesday, December 7th, 2022, Shirley Jeannine (Jean) May, a beloved wife, mother and grandmother passed away. She was born on March 23rd, 1931 in Colfax, Iowa, daughter of Margaret Helen and Howard Lee Husson. She grew up in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin with her mother and maternal grandparents, Johan Rambak and Henny Ovidia Gjertsen, where she attended and graduated from Lincoln High School.

After graduation, Jean moved to Annapolis, Maryland where she married William Bane Stafford, a naval midshipman. They were married for 25 years before William passed away due to a lengthy illness. They have a daughter, Jeannine Marie. Jean later married Robert Nelson May and they were married for 35 years.

Jean loved experiencing the different cultures of America through living and working in Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL; Sarasota, FL; Houston, TX; and Maryland. She also traveled to the Western US with Robert in their recreational vehicle, enjoying the beauty of the national parks.

After retiring from her vocation of commercial real estate management, Jean found an avocation where she could give back to the community she so dearly loved. She joined the MGH Women’s Board in 1984 and managed the hospital gift shop for 17 years. It was here that her gift of being a good listener allowed her to help the families of patients at MGH when they came into the gift shop as a break from the stress of family health issues. She found satisfaction in being able to help them by lending an empathetic ear. She retired from the gift shop in 2018. Jean was also involved with the Maryland Association of Hospital Auxiliaries (MAHA), where she started and managed the vendor shows at their annual conferences for many years.

At home, the richness of her family life was complemented by her love of animals which included many Pekingese, Collies and Shih Tzu dogs.

Jean is survived by her husband, Robert; her daughter, Jeannine (Gregory) Hollis of Chadds Ford, PA; her grandson, Matthew Brendon Hollis of Chadds Ford, PA, and her shih tzu, P.D.May.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, December 14th at the Roy W. Barber Funeral Home at 21525 Laytonsville Road, Laytonsville, MD 20882 from 10:00 AM to 12:00. The graveside service and internment will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 515 S. Market St., Frederick, MD at 2:00 PM. All family and friends are invited.

In lieu of giving flowers, the family asks that those who are able, make a donation to any no-kill animal shelter of their choosing.
 

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