Kenneth Walter May

1940 - 2023

In Loving Memory of Kenneth W. May (May 30, 1940 - February 25, 2023)
Kenneth Walter May, of North Bay, passed away, after 82 years, on February 25, 2023.
Ken was born in Dunkirk, NY in 1940 and received his B.A. and M.A. Degrees from nearby SUNY Fredonia. It was at college that he met Dana May Adams and convinced her to become Dana May May. They married after graduation and both began careers in teaching.
Ken taught, for 38 years, at Camden Central High School, served as the Chair of the Science Department, was a New York State Regent and authored several science textbooks. He taught and mentored thousands of Camden students across multiple generations, preparing them for exams and life equally. Ken was also actively involved in the St. John's and St. Mary's Catholic Church parishes. He served as a Trustee and Lecter for many years, dealt blackjack at the church's annual Casino Night and concocted the white vinegar sauce used at the Chicken BBQ fundraiser each year. Ken was also a proud member of the Rome Polish Home and the Owls Club. He was a tour bus guide for AAA. He worked for the Town of Vienna as Welfare Officer and he spent his summers as a contractor painting houses and churches.
Ken enjoyed spending his summers growing and canning vegetables, his afternoons mowing the lawn, his holiday seasons making and mailing Christmas cookies and his Sunday mornings listening to the 2-hour Polka Hour. He once built an ice skating rink in his backyard, made homemade wine in a 32 gallon can and stuffed dozens of pounds of homemade kielbasa just in time for Easter. His lifelong affinity for service and community is nowhere more evident, however, than in his devotion to the North Bay Fire Department. During active service that spanned 59 years - his entire life in North Bay - Ken served variously as Assistant Chief, President of the Fire Department, Chairman of the Board and Commissioner. At the time of his death, he was still actively serving as Captain of the Fire Police.
Ken May's life was one of relentless and uncompromising service to his family, friends, students and community.
He is survived by his daughter, Donna and her husband, Frank; son, Mike and his partner, Katya; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. His surviving family also extends to his partner, Carol; her five children and their families. He will be remembered and missed by many, many more whose lives he touched.
He joins his wife, Dana, who passed in 1998.
Funeral Services will be celebrated at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 3, 2023 from LaRobardiere Funeral Home, 109 Main Street, Camden, NY. Spring Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery, North Bay, NY. Relatives and Friends are invited to call from 2 - 4 p.m. on Friday, at the funeral home, prior to the service. To leave a special memory or condolence, please visit www.larobardierefuneralhome.com