David Lawrence May
David Lawrence May, a resident of Gloucester, VA, passed away on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at age 94 to be with the Lord from complications of 23 years with prostate cancer. He would like to thank his physicians (many whom David outlived) and family members for the cancer care they provided until his dying day.
David was born October 22, 1927, in Groton, the son of Robert M. May and Virginia Woods May of Groton. He was proud to be part of the tenth generation of Mays in America. Left to cherish David’s memory is his beloved wife of 71 years, Alice Smith May, sons David May, Jr. (Anne) of Virginia Beach, VA; Richard May (Laurie) of Williamsburg, VA; and Peter May (Tracey) of West Point, VA; granddaughters Lauren Eastwood (Steve) of Bella Vista, AR; Alexandra May of Pittsburgh, PA; and Emily Myrick (Joseph) of West Point, VA; grandsons Eliot May of Philadelphia, PA; and John May (Natalie) of White Salmon, WA.
David had a lifelong love of learning and work. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts (B.S. 1950) and soon started working for a farm supply business selling grain, fertilizer, and other agricultural products to farms in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New York State. He earned a chemistry degree from Lowell Technological Institute in 1961, and a M.B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1981. His career included selling insurance (for Mass Mutual), as well as working in the technical paper industry at Crocker Burbank in Fitchburg, and in the metal foil industry at Reynolds Metals in Richmond, VA.
David liked playing bridge and Chinese checkers, swimming, sailing his boats, ice skating, roller skating, gardening, tennis, reading, and spending time with his family. As a Boy Scout, he achieved Eagle Scout rank with a bronze palm recognition (gold star) award. The U.S. Navy awarded him for serving his country in World War II aboard the repair ship USN Cascade. He was a member of the American Legion Post 75 in Gloucester, VA.
David loved telling stories from his life experiences. Recently, he recounted to his family a story about rescuing a dog from drowning while sailing out of the Holiday Marina in Portsmouth, VA. The women on board had gone window shopping, so David was alone on the fantail when he heard a guttural coughing sound. Upon investigation, he saw a dog, thoroughly exhausted and unable to pull himself out of the water. He went out onto the finger pier to get a better angle and reached over the edge, grabbed the dog, and with the assistance of some passersby he lifted the dog out of the water and onto the finger pier.
Services under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home & Crematory of Gloucester Point, Virginia.