John Francis May

John F. May passed from this life on March 18th, 2026, at his home in Coventry, Connecticut at the age of 79. He was born on October 4th, 1946, in Hartford, Connecticut to Stanley May and Nellie (Jackson) May. He is predeceased by his parents and his brother, Robert May. John is survived by his wife of nearly 53 years, Sally (Lilly) May, their children, Tiffanie (May) Itsou and her husband, Stephen Itsou of Mansfield, Connecticut and Bryan May of Willimantic, Connecticut, along with four beloved grandchildren: Scarlett and Hawthorne May, and Esme and Mina Itsou.
John grew up in Newington, Connecticut and graduated from Newington High School in 1964. After high school he attended Ward Technical School and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. He was then hired by Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in the Experimental Test Department in East Hartford. He retired after 42 years at Pratt and Whitney.
John received his draft notice in 1965 but chose to enlist in the U.S. Army where he attended radar school. He was then deployed to a base outside Frankfurt, Germany, where he was stationed for 2 1/2 years until he completed his tour of duty. He loved his time in Germany.
John enjoyed working on his many cars, a motorcycle, and especially his 1976 Chevy pick-up truck over the years. He was known by friends and family as someone who could fix or build anything - he loved taking apart and reassembling engines of all sizes, including lawn equipment of any variety and a go-cart he built for his children from scrap parts which he maintained long enough for his grandchildren to enjoy.
His favorite place to be was his home in Coventry where he spent many happy years as an avid weather watcher and working on his countless projects in and around the house he shared with Sally for over 50 years.
John's family will hold a private celebration of his life; in lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.