Obituary of Ronald William May

August 28, 1943 – Winnipeg, Manitoba

October 8, 2024 – Calgary, Alberta

Ron May, beloved husband of Carole May (nee Proctor), of Calgary, Alberta, passed away on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at the age of 81 years.

Ron was born in Winnipeg, MB, on August 28, 1943. When he was a child, his family relocated to the Toronto area, where he attended Burnhamthorpe High School. Following his graduation, he moved with his family to Calgary, AB, and immediately fell in love with the Rocky Mountains. He attended the University of Alberta, Calgary Campus, and earned his Master’s in Geology.

In 1964, he attended a party where he met the woman who would become the love of his life—a young nurse named Carole Proctor. They married the following year, on June 12, 1965, in Carole’s hometown of Fairview, Alberta.

Over the next few years, their family grew with the arrival of their two children, Robert and Cheryl. With his young family in tow, Ron moved to London, Ontario where he received his PhD in Geology from the University of Western Ontario in 1971.

For the next few years, he taught at the University of Waterloo, and in 1974, the family returned to Alberta, settling in St. Albert and spending many family vacations camping in the mountains of Jasper National Park. Once their children were grown, Ron and Carole moved again, this time to the northern community of Fort McMurray, where Ron worked for Syncrude Canada. In 1988, they moved back to Calgary, where Ron lived the remainder of his life.

Ron was a lifelong learner who had many interests and hobbies. As an avid bridge player, he belonged to multiple bridge clubs over the years. Later in life, he developed a passion for photography, particularly nature photography including landscapes and birds, animals, and flowers. After retirement, he combined his photography with his interest in travel, heading to the Northwest Territories to capture the northern lights, to the Galápagos Islands, to photograph the wildlife, and on multiple photography trips across the United States. But perhaps the place that most captured his interest, and to which he returned several times, was Africa. He loved being on safari and took thousands of pictures that captured the beauty and majesty of the wildlife. Closer to home, he enjoyed off-road expeditions in his four-wheel drive vehicle, frequently heading into the local mountains.

Ron is survived by his loving wife Carole, their children Robert (Suzie) and Cheryl (Robin), his grandchildren Amanda, Deanna and Kai, and his great-grandchildren, Johnothan, Marlow and Malkin, as well as his brother Ken (Linda) and their children Trevor (Kathleen) and Cori (Amber), along with his cousins and friends.

Ron was predeceased by his parents, William and Marjorie May.

Funeral Services will be held at McInnis & Holloway (Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB), on Friday, November 1, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Reception to follow in the Hospitality Centre at the Funeral Home.

Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Mr. May's service streamed live (the link will be below) on the day of the service. For those who are unable to view live, a recording of the service will be posted.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Ron’s family here.

In living memory of Ronald “Ron” May, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.