Lillian R. May

Lillian Ruth May (McLean) was a farm girl in Harrow, Ontario, turned big-city working girl in Windsor and as far West as British Columbia; then a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a friend to so many. She passed away on Sunday, January 24, 2021, at the beautiful age of 92! She was born to Mary Elisabeth Sweet McLean McKenzie and Vern Fenton McLean on August 16, 1928. She married Walter Llewelyn May on November 3, 1951, and came to live in Detroit, Michigan, where she had five children: Barbara Childress (Chuck), Karen May Anastasiow, Karl May (died at birth), James May (Laurie) and W. J. Scott May (Joan). She had 10 grandchildren: Zachary Dubs (Nikki), Demetrios Anastasiow, Brandon Childress (Brittany), Amanda Salefske (Sean), Kelsey and Kaitlin May, Justan, Jordan, Austan and Makayla May; and five great-grandchildren: Dradyn Ray, Beau Childress, her namesake, Lillian Clara and Daphne Dubs and Scarlett Salefske. She loved telling stories of her life and family and had an unbelievable memory for dates and places. She grew up in a cement brick home that never had electricity, running water or anything but wood stoves and she and her six other siblings participated in the farming chores that were inherent with 1930s depression era farming; she graduated from Harrow High School 1945 and moved to Windsor to attend business school at W.D. Lowe where she graduated and went to work for the Union Gas Company. In 1950 she followed her brother, Norman back to British Columbia where she stayed and worked for the Canadian Pacific Airlines on Sea Island. She returned home later that year and worked at Dominion Office Supply while boarding with Lou and Irene Brown on Elm Street in Windsor. There, she met Irene's nephew, Walter, and the rest is history. They married and moved to Detroit. She got her Green Card saying she could live and work in the USA and worked for Link Belt Company until she became pregnant with her first daughter. As she wrote and told of in her many stories, "you couldn't work after you got pregnant in those days [1954]." In October of 1955 they moved to their brand new home in S. Redford where they lived until the early '70s. They owned and operated the Pepper Tree restaurant in Novi, then moved and bought a restaurant, May's Family House, in Hudson, MI, for a few years. They came back to S. Redford for a few years and then Walter's job took them to Findlay, Ohio, where they lived for 12 years and raised their boys, who are still Ohioans. Lillian and Walter returned to Michigan, living in Monroe and Livonia. They traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada generally once-a-year, Lillian's favorite locale being the Rocky Mountains out west and a once-in-a-life-time trip overseas to England and Switzerland. Together they were a force and were generous to-a-fault with their time and expertise in helping their children and families. Her beloved Walter passed in March 2013 and was missed terribly over these last years. Lillian kept active with her church, bible study, book club, bowling, cards, bingo and driving her beautiful white Buick Park Avenue until she was 88 years old. Lillian Ruth McLean May, a proud Canadian citizen until her death, something she insisted be put on their combined headstone will be missed, but forever loved by so many. A memorial service will be planned in future at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Livonia. Donations in her memory may be made to the church.