Emma Josephine (“Jo”) Rives May, 88, most recently of Jefferson, Ga. (Bentley Assisted Living), died peacefully late Thursday evening, June 18, 2015, in the presence of family. She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on February 28, 1927 to Henry William Rives and Mary Cecilia (Hagman) Rives and lived a full life. She enjoyed a happy childhood in St. Albans, Long Island, and Baldwin, New York, a 60 year marriage, a bounty of progeny and friends and an active involvement in the Roman Catholic Church. Additionally, she enjoyed competitive bowling and bridge. Her hazel eyes sparkled and she loved to laugh!
While working as an executive secretary for the Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company in Rockefeller Center in 1951, Jo met the handsome and younger Robert H. “Bobby” May of Hoboken, New Jersey, then serving as an executive company “runner”. After efforts to couple him with one of her younger sisters floundered, she was hooked. She and Bobby were married on September 26, 1953 at St. Christopher’s Roman Catholic Church in Baldwin, Long Island, by her uncle, Father Joseph J. Rives. They honey-mooned surreptitiously in a dorm room at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis at the insistence of Bobby’s brother, Don, who with other cadets serenaded them from the courtyard on their wedding night.
Job transfers ensued, spiriting Jo and Bob to the pursuit of upward mobility in Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wis.; Tulsa, Okla.; Cherry Hill, N.J.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Mount Prospect, Ill.; and Lenexa and Overland Park, Kan. which they called home from 1977 until 2000, when they retired to Peachtree City, Ga.
Jo spent her formative years attending St. Catherine of Siena Elementary School in St. Albans, N.Y., and St. Agnes Academy High School in Rockville Center in Long Island where she was a sprinter and a cheerleader, and one year of business school in Manhattan. She worked as a secretary for American Petroleum Institute (1944-48), Shell Oil Company (1948-53), Bakelite (1953-54), and R.L. Polk & Company (1975-76). She was a master at shorthand and could type more than 100 words per minute.
Jo loved the Brooklyn Dodgers, bowling, gardening, card games (especially Bridge) and exaggerated reports of her children and grandchildren’s exploits and good behavior. She found creative outlets in baking (especially chocolate chip cookies), and making homemade soups and watermelon pickles. Her family enjoyed her cooking, lovingly known as “the best restaurant in town”. Jo loved to sew, just about anything, sometimes to amusing results. She was an accomplished bargain hunter as well.
Married 60 years, Jo and Bob lived, raised a family, and retired in haunts in or around Hoboken, New York City, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Tulsa, Cherry Hill (N.J.), Cincinnati, Chicago, Kansas City, Peachtree City and Jefferson, Ga. She is survived by five children: Nanci May Lazar (Naperville, Ill.), Donald R. May and spouse April (Powhatan, Va.), Christine May Grabowski (Arlington Heights, Ill.), Cynthia May Gumucio and spouse Cesar (Athens, Ga.), and James R. May and spouse Kathleen Siren (Wilmington, Del.); and, eleven grandchildren: Zachary and Alex Lazar; Lillian, Robert James and Addison May; Rachel and Mason Grabowski; Leah Gumucio Fuller and Lauren Gumucio Agee; and, Jameson May and Isabella Siren.
Jo is preceded in death by her husband, Robert H. May, her parents, Henry William and Mary Cecilia Rives, two sisters (Cecilia and Susan), one brother (John) and Godmother, Emma Josephine Hagman. She is survived by her sister, Theresa (Rives) Vetter and her spouse, John as well as a cast of loving friends and caretakers at Bentley Assisted Living.
Funeral arrangements are through Lord & Stephens Funeral Home West, 211 Jimmie Daniel Road, Bogart, Ga., 30622. The memorial funeral service will be held this Saturday, June 27, 2015 at the chapel at Lord & Stephens West Funeral Home with a Rosary Service beginning at 2:30 p.m. followed by the Memorial Funeral Service at 3 p.m.
The family requests that donations be made to The St. Vincent de Paul Society, The American Cancer Society or to a charity of your choice.
Lord & Stephens Funeral Home www.lordandstephens.com
