Obituary – Vivian May

Vivian May

Vivian Elizabeth May, age 90, passed away peacefully at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Chelsea, MI, on Friday, November 23, 2018. Vivian was born to Orlyn C. and Ina M. (White) Watkins in Hillsdale County, Michigan, on February 2, 1928. She graduated from Osseo High School in 1945. She was married to Lloyd Wayne May on November 14, 1948, at the Osseo Methodist Church. They then moved to the May family homestead (built in 1860) in Gregory, MI, where Vivian lived for the rest of her life.

She is survived by two daughters, Christine Berry of Stockbridge and Virginia (Ron) Lewis of Gregory; one son, Francis May of Texas; son-in-law, Bill Poe of Ohio; five grandchildren, William (Ana) Poe and Robert (Andrea) Poe of Florida, Kelly (Thomas) Witt of Texas, and Jason (Madeleine) Berry and Eric Berry of Michigan; and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Lloyd May, daughter Beverly Poe, and son-in-law Felix Berry, as well as two brothers Ivan and Ralph Watkins, two sisters Alice Hegedus and Leona Gray, two half-brothers Neal Watkins and Wendell White, and two half-sisters Mary Heglund and Aileen Lester.

Vivian was a long-time member of the Unadilla Presbyterian Church. She was a member of the Hillsdale Historical Society and the Waterloo Farm Museum, where she was active for 24 years. She was also one of the original members of the Chelsea Kitchen Band and served as treasurer until it disbanded after 25 years. Vivian’s interests and hobbies included cooking, attending church, reading newspapers and religious novels, playing cards, gardening, watching sports (especially the University of Michigan and her beloved Detroit Pistons), keeping up with local news, and spending time with her loving family.

A memorial service/celebration of life for Vivian will be held in the Spring of 2019. More information will be announced in the future. Until then any questions or expressions of sympathy can be directed to her daughter Christine Berry ( [email protected]). Memorial contributions can be made to the Unadilla Presbyterian Church. Arrangements by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge.