OBITUARY: Eleanor Goddard May
Eleanor Goddard May died May 8, 2016 at her home in North Garden, VA. A member of the 11th generation of Mays in America, born in Groton on September 26, 1925. She was the daughter Robert Morse May and Virginia Ames Woods May. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert Morse May, Jr. and John Franklin May, John’s wife, Margaret May, and her niece Pamela Anne May Gildersleeve, along with a succession of mostly Golden Retrievers—Abigail, Chelsea, Amy, Virginia, Martha and Mary.
She was descended from 12 of the original proprietors of Groton, founded in 1655: Samuel Woods, Richard Blood, William Longley, John Lakin, Thomas Williams, Joseph Parker, Richard Holden, John Lawrence, Joseph Gilson, Nathaniel Lawrence, James Parker, and Samuel Davis.
She is survived by her goddaughter Marion Eleanor Deroian of Winterville, NC; one brother and his wife, David Lawrence May and Alice of Gloucester County, VA; one sister-in-law, Bernice Brylle May of Brookfield, WI; seven nieces and nephews and their spouses: Marilyn Alice Harris and Gerald of Brookfield, WI; David Lawrence May, Jr. and Anne of Virginia Beach, VA; Richard Gilman May and Laurie of Miami, FL; Peter Goddard May and Tracy of Mooresville, NC; Marsha May Brown and Dennis of Lincoln, IL; and Sandra Phyllis May of Sterling, MA. Also twelve great nieces and nephews: Sara Gildersleeve Violette (and Charles), Brian Keith Gildersleeve, Heather Ann Harris, Jeremy Phillip Harris and Jessi, Amanda Catherine Harris, Lauren Alcott May, Eliot David May, John Theophilus Gilman May (and Natalie), Alexandra Goddard May, Emily Hope Myrick (and Joseph), Stephanie Margaret Serra, and Melinda May Violette; plus a great-great niece Kaitlynn Gildersleeve, and a great-great nephew Timothy Lee Gildersleeve. In addition she is survived by many friends, especially Lillie Mae Montague, Leroy Stevens, and Janie Giles, as well as her current golden retriever, Alexandra.
In 1990, she retired as Professor of Business Administration from the Darden School, University of Virginia, where she was the first female member of the Graduate Business Faculty. Prior to UVA, she was a Research Associate at the Harvard Business School and then Research director at Woodward & Lothrop in Washington, DC. She graduated Tufts University, magna cum laude, and received an MBA from George Washington University. She has published widely and was a frequent public speaker. Eleanor taught in Bangor Wales in 1992. She was a volunteer executive in Kazakstan for the International Executive Service Corp in 1995. Among professional groups she was a member of the American Marketing Association and its Census Advisory Committee, treasurer of the Washington chapter of AMA, chair of the Government Statistics Committee of the National Retail Merchants Association, and chair of NRMA Retail Research Institute; served on four NRMA Committees, preparing expense accounting manuals, a Buyers’ Manual, and a system of retail pricing called Merchandise Management Accounting. She worked with the Virginia Retail Merchants Association for many years. She was a member of the American Collegiate Retailing Association, among other professional groups. She was listed in Who’s Who Among American Women.
In Charlottesville, she was a member of the board of Suburban Savings and Loan; an early board member of Meals on Wheels; a board member of the Virginia Women’s Forum; a founder and board member, as well as treasurer, president of the board, and member of the Women’s Faculty and Professional Association of the University; a board member, president and member of the Retired Faculty Association; a member and treasurer of Colonial Dames; a member and board member of The Contemporary Club; a member of Altrusa International, in both Washington and Charlottesville, president in Charlottesville; board member and president of Adventure Bound School; board member of Elk Hill Farm, Inc.; board member, treasurer, and president of the Blue Ridge Swim Club; board member and treasurer of OnOurOwn; a member of the ad hoc group which developed concepts and plans for what became Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge; and a member of the Keswick Club, as well as other associations. She was a member of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church—Unitarian Universalist, where she served on the board for a number of years and as board president from 1999 to 2001, and had continued active in the UU Christian Fellowship until recently. Earlier she had been a member of the First Parish Unitarian Churches in Groton, MA and Cambridge, MA, a sixth generation Unitarian.
She was a world traveler, having visited all seven continents plus all 50 states and had been a swimmer, a day-hiker, especially on the Appalachian Trail. Also she enjoyed classical music, was a reader of broad interest, a genealogist (working on both the May family, with the Goddards back to John May, who came from Mayfield, England in 1635, and the Woods family), a bird watcher and lover of wildflowers, a puzzle solver, among other activities.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 4 at 10 a.m. at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church UU Charlottesville. A memorial stone will be placed in the May family plot in Groton cemetery. She wished that memorial contributions in her memory be made to Elk Hill Farm, PO Box 99, Goochland, VA 23063, or Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, 717 Rugby Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903.