Walter C. May

1930 - 2022

Walter C. May
September 4, 1930 - June 29, 2022
Frisco, Texas - Walter Charles May Jr., 91, passed away on June 29, 2022, one day after his 64th wedding anniversary.
Born in Kansas City, MO, Walter moved to Chicago, IL after 5th grade and graduated from Calumet High School. A graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in mechanical engineering, Walter worked at Honeywell in Minneapolis where he met his wife, Ardes Wesley. He worked as a bridge designer for the Minnesota Highway Department followed by a long career at Bendix Corporation (now Honeywell) in Kansas City.
During the Korean War he served in the US Army as a corporal and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan where he was in the Signal Corps repairing fixed station radios.
An athlete all his life, Walter was a walk-on linebacker for the Mizzou Football Team and a wrestler and football player in the US Army. Later in life he enjoyed playing on the church softball team and coaching youth YMCA football, basketball, and baseball. Walter also enjoyed playing golf and watched it on TV when he couldn't play the game any longer.
A charter member of Atonement Lutheran Church in Overland Park, Walter was always ready to volunteer at the church. He led youth group canoe trips to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota for 11 years and loved his time in God's Great North Woods. The stories he brought back from these trips would make him chuckle for years.
A true engineer, Walter liked tinkering and repairing cars and other things around the house. He also enjoyed helping others, often answering with a hearty "Sure!" when asked to aid friends and neighbors. His woodworking skills live on in the play kitchens he made for his daughter and granddaughters and the cradle he crafted that has been used for two generations now. He enjoyed curating a collection of beer cans and loved meeting others who shared his hobby. Walter was a wonderful husband and father who always supported his children in their interests.
He was preceded in death by his parents Walter May Sr. and Ellison Brown May, his sister Doris Boyer, and two nephews. He is survived by his beloved wife, Ardes, his son Walter "Chip" (Lisa) May, his daughter Margaret (Allen) Hensley and is a proud Papa to grandchildren Trevor May, Courtney (John) Targac, Claire and Sylvia Hensley, his great-granddaughter Annaleigh Targac and a nephew and three nieces.
Visitation will be at 10am, Saturday, Aug. 27 at Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS. 66212. A Celebration of Life will be held immediately following at 11am.
Memorial contributions may be made to Atonement Lutheran Church.