Mary E. May

Mary E. (Betty) May Oct. 1, 1918 - May 31, 2011 Betty May, 92, of McCall, passed away Tuesday, May 31, 2011, of natural causes with her family at her side. A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, June 3 at 1 p.m. at the Community Congregational Church under the direction of Heikkila Funeral Chapel. Mary E. (Betty) May was born Oct. 1,1918, in Schenectady, N.Y., to William and Mary Jane (Robinson) Shaw. As a child, Betty was nicknamed "Tin Can Lizzie" because she would kick a tin can all the way to school. She later shortened her name to Betty. After graduating from high school, Betty worked as a waitress for several years. She thoroughly enjoyed this as she was able to socialize and meet many people including her future husband, a handsome young sailor who was attending submarine school. Charles John May and Betty were married in 1940 in New London, Conn. Their family was complete with the births of their children, Jim and Carleen. Betty and Charlie moved to McCall in 1952. When asked about her fondest memories, Betty said she and Charlie always liked to dance. Whether it was the jitterbug or the waltz, they moved to whatever the music called for. They used to dance at The Yacht Club, Foresters, and Shore Lodge. They both liked to play, but they also worked hard. Betty worked various jobs (all of which she loved) from sorting potatoes, to running the Stadium movie theater to waitressing at Shore Lodge. She eventually joined the telephone company where she worked for 18 years. During this time Betty was also very active in her community. She was on the National Ski Patrol and patrolled the Little Ski Hill. You would also find her in the timing shack as the official timer for most of the ski races. She belonged to the McCall Bowling League and enjoyed going to tournaments with the gals. Betty also belonged to the snowmobile club for many years. Winning some and losing some, it was all about being with friends and family. She was a member of the McCall Ladies Golf Association and golfed up until she was 85. She seemed to be a fixture at the golf course. Another passion Betty had was her association with the Eastern Stars, Valeria Chapter 76. She was Worthy Matron in 1971 and later received her 50-year pin and Life Membership certificate in 2005. And what's life in McCall without participating in Winter Carnival? Betty spent many years helping with sculptures and floats. She was the Grand Marshal of the Winter Carnival in 1983 and was voted, along with Carl Heinrich, Lady and Lord of the Winter Carnival in 2000. Betty May was also quite the card shark. You could find her playing cards with her Pinochle club or at the senior center playing bridge. After retirement, Betty couldn't sit idle. She went to work for the McCall-Donnelly School District. She worked there for another 25 years, but never really considered it work. She enjoyed every minute she was there. She also volunteered to take tickets for all the sporting events. If you ever went to any of the games you most certainly met Betty May. She was the one collecting your money. Betty considered it an honor and a privilege to serve her community in any way she could. Betty met many people in her life. Every one of you had a special place in her heart. For the past few years she treasured her weekly Thursday evening dinners at Si Bueno with Jim and Nancy Bacon. Betty considered McCall her family and loved the community very much. A gracious thank-you goes out to Dr. Hall for caring for Betty for the past 15 years. Betty was preceded in death by her husband, her mother and father, a brother, a sister, and a grandson. She is survived by her son Jim (Doris) May of Pahrump, Nev.; a daughter, Carleen (Gene) Guns of McCall; four grandchildren, Shay (Bryan) Ruhl of Boise, Kathy (Jeff) DeLuna of McCall, Jim (Leslie) May of Denim Springs, La., and John (Stephanie) May of Pahrump, Nev.; and seven great grandchildren, KoreyLynn, Caylee, Kaden, Rylie, Andrew, Connor and Matthew. Memorials in Betty's name should be made to the Payette Lakes Ski Club, P.O. Box 442, McCall, ID 83638.