Shirley Hattaway May

Mrs. Shirley H. May, age 89, of Linton Road in Sandersville, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at Washington County Regional Medical Center. A funeral service to celebrate her life will be held on Monday, September 8th at 11:00 a.m. at Pine Hill Methodist Church north of Warthen with burial in the Church Cemetery. Reverends Don Black, Bryce Jeffcoat and Eddie Wiggins will officiate. Mrs. May's grandchildren will serve as pallbearers. Her family will receive friends on Sunday from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at May and Smith Funeral Home. Mrs. May's family may be contacted at the Corbett residence on Veal Road in Deepstep.

Shirley Hattaway May was born and reared on her family's farm in Warthen. She was the daughter of the late Richard T. Hattaway Sr. and the late Ella Mary Walker Hattaway. Shirley attended school in Warthen and graduated from Sandersville High School where she excelled in Basketball. She married her late husband Willard "Bit" May, and they began rearing their family. Shirley was a well-known and beloved Washington County fixture from her 35-year career as cashier at Miller's Food Store in Sandersville. She concluded her working career at Franklin Propane. Shirley was a lifelong member of Pine Hill Methodist Church where she formerly taught Sunday School, as well as a lifelong member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary. Her favorite hobbies were word searches and watching almost any game show on TV. She found joy in working her yards continuing to cut her own grass until late in her life. Family was near and dear to her heart. In addition to her parents and husband, Shirley is also predeceased by her infant daughter, her son Jerry May and siblings Albert "Sonny" Hattaway and Catherine H. Woods.

Survivors include her children, Cindy M. Corbett and her husband Stephen of Deepstep and Tommy May and his wife Tammy of Warthen; daughter-in-law Jan P. May of Lakeland, FL., grandchildren, Stephen Corbett Jr., Olivia May, J.W. May, Jed May, Walker May and Jesslyn M. Foskey; great grandchildren, Heather Corbett, Zoe Jenkins, Stephen "Trip" Corbett III, Jaxon Corbett, Wesley Corbett, Ellie May Foskey, Isiah Pittman, Harper Pittman and Tate May; one great grandson, John Cullen Jenkins, her brother Richard T. "Bud" Hattaway, special friends, John and Merion Sheppard and her furry friend Tybee.

Donations may be made to the Jerry May Foundation at Washington County Young Life, P.O. Box 411, Sandersville, GA. 31082.

Please leave an online condolence at mayandsmithfuneraldirectors.com

May and Smith Funeral Directors is in charge of these arrangements.

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