May was born on Palm Sunday, April 2, 1950, to James M. and Neeltje W. Hain. She grew up in Berks County, and later moved to New Hampshire, where she graduated from the High Mowing School, in Wilton, NH, in 1968.

May graduated in 1972 from Kutztown State College with a BA degree in Early Education and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S Army Women's Army Corps (WAC).

Assigned to Fort Bragg, NC, May served as a Personnel/Administrative Staff Officer, an Executive Officer, and later as the commander of the Fort Bragg WAC Company, a unit of some 800 women.

May & Bob were married at the Pope Airforce Base Chapel on August 2, 1975.

Service with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Headquarters at Ft Indiantown Gap came next as she worked as an Equal Opportunity / Race Relations Officer and also worked as a manager of the Mill Bridge Village in Strasburg.

With her husband's Army service continuing, May lived in Kansas, Germany, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and was later promoted to Major in the U.S. Army Reserve. Her military awards include: the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, U.S. Army Reserve Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the Pennsylvania General Staff Badge.

Throughout the years, at all the various duty stations, May made it her mission to help the families and the soldiers by volunteering with the Red Cross, Army Community Service, Officer's Wives Clubs, and with the unit Family Support Groups. These groups were vital to support the troops deploying on Operation Desert Storm in 1990. May was the best and most supportive Army wife ever.

Retirement brought May back to Strasburg, the old house she so loved, and to her family. She became involved in community affairs, particularly in the historic community where she was a long-time member of the Strasburg Heritage Society, helped the Strasburg Architectural Review Board and later, Grave Concern. Her efforts assisted in the update of the borough Historic Ordnance, the update of the Strasburg region Comprehensive Plan, the designation of Route 741 as a state Historic Byway, and the reconstruction of the Edisonville bridge along that byway as a "contact sensitive" design. When she became aware of the extensive damage to a local 18th century cemetery, she took on the role of project manager to rebuild it, place the headstones in their original position, and make replacements for those damaged beyond repair.

She was keenly interested in the environment and water issues, where she assisted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the delineation of wetlands in the borough and in the formal naming of an unidentified stream mentioned on 18th century maps to Kendig Run. May loved to read and knit and was an avid supporter of the Strasburg Heisler Library and formed a textile arts group part of the library activities to encourage local handworkers. Her knitting benefited cancer survivors and the mothers and babies of the local hospitals.

May is survived by her brother, James H.W. Hain of East Falmouth, MA, and her sister, Lysbeth W. Clark of New Providence, PA.

A viewing will take place 2-3 PM Wednesday, April 14, 2021, followed by the funeral at 3 pm, at the Bachman Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, 7 S. Decatur St., Strasburg, PA 17579. Interment with Military Honors will take place at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville PA, on Monday, April 19, 2021 at 11:30 AM.

Please omit flowers. Donations may be given to The Women in the Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, 200 North Glebe Road, Suite 400, Arlington VA 22203 https://myaccount.womensmemorial.org/donatenow?pid=a1B2E000006inGTUAY or to The Lancaster Conservancy, 117 S. West End Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17603 https://www.lancasterconservancy.org/donate/