Ruth Alexis May

1942 - 2012

Mrs. Ruth Alexis May, 69, of Bellevue, Washington died at 5:30 P.M. on Monday, April 2, 2012 at the Overlake Hospital and Medical Center in Bellevue, Washington.
Funeral services for Mrs. May were held at 11 A.M. on Friday, April 6, 2012 at the Stumpff Funeral Home Chapel in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with Rabbi Charles Sherman officiating. Interment was in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Bartlesville, Oklahoma directed by the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory.
A memorial fund has been established and those who wish may make contributions in her name to the American Diabetes Association, 6600 S. Yale Drive, Suite 1310, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74136-3346.
Mrs. May was born in Elgin, Illinois on December 15, 1942 the daughter of Lawrence and Myrtle (Hintt) Rinaldo. While in high school she was selected for Girl's State and was a National Merit Scholar. She attended Illinois State University at Normal, Illinois where she majored in Elementary Education and Creative Dramatics while on a National Merit Scholarship from the State of Illinois. After graduation she attended the University of Washington School of Drama where she pursued her Master's Degree. Ruth was a vocalist and a musical comedy stage performer in university drama school productions in Illinois and Washington. She won first place for soprano voice at the Illinois State Fair in 1959 at the age of 17. She came from a musical family and played the clarinet as well as the soprano, alto and tenor saxophones.
She was married to John Lawrence May at Seattle, Washington on June 17, 1966 and they have made their home in the Seattle area since that time. She later returned to the University of Washington where she received her MBA in Revenue Forecasting. While in the business school there she was an advisor for business school students and was on the academic recruiting team for the University of Washington football team. She also organized the first student "Association of University of Washington Women in Business" group and later organized the first University of Washington Faculty Business Women's Association. She re-instituted and became President of the Bellevue, Washington Chapter of "Business and Professional Women". Mrs. May had served as a Revenue Forecaster for the senior executives of Pacific Northwest Bell and continued in that same position with AT & T. She later became the Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Washington and had retired due to medical disability in 1999. She had a beautiful singing voice and was a member of the Seattle Shores and the Lakeside Sweet Adeline's choruses, both of which competed internationally during her tenure. She was a member of the Beis Menachem Synagogue in Bellevue, Washington.
Mrs. May is survived by her husband, Larry May of Bellevue, Washington, one son, Christopher May of Scottsdale, Arizona, one daughter, Lisa May of Edmonds, Washington, one granddaughter, Deelani May, four brothers, Kenneth Rinaldo and wife Pearl of San Jose, California, Larry Rinaldo and wife Pat of Carrollton, Texas, Paul Rinaldo of Burke, Virginia, and Bob and Julie Rinaldo of Springfield, Illinois, and one sister, Joan Boetger and husband Bob of Brandon, Florida. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, John Rinaldo.