Dr. Mallory Sanford May, III, 85, died August 3, 2020 in Dallas Texas with his family by his side.
He was a fifth generation Floridian, born in Quincy, Florida, on January 26, 1935. His parents were Mallory Sanford May, II and Aileen Prine.
He was preceded in death by all of his relatives that were born before him and his second son, Jonathan Thomas May.
He is survived by the love of his life of many years Leigh E. DeMasi, his eldest son William Sanford May and his two sons Apsley and Truman May; his only daughter Erica Leigh May Easley and her husband Justin Easley and their daughter Savannah Leigh Easley, his youngest son B. Patrick May and his wife Alexa May and their daughter Addison Elizabeth May; his four first cousins Anne Baker, Johnna Laird and Lynn Talbot, and Mary Beth May Fant and three of his second cousins Fount May, Bradford May and Martha May [Nee].
Dr. May graduated from Chipley High School in Chipley, Florida, in 1953. He earned a BA in biology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1959. He then went on to earn Master’s of Arts in Teaching from the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama, in 1963, a Master’s of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1964, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in biology from Emory University in 1973.
During his vocational career he taught science and mathematics at the Thornwood School for Girls in Rome, Georgia, physics at the Louisville Country Day School in Louisville Kentucky, and anatomy and physiology, medical microbiology (before first graduating from Emory, he spent two years studying medicine at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida), general biology, and marine biology at Brunswick College, Georgia, now the Coastal College of Georgia.
He went to Brunswick as the Associate Pastor of the First Baptist Church and the Pastor of the Jekyll Island Baptist Church. He arranged to have his salary contributed toward building a Jekyll Island Baptist Church. He earned his income as a professor at Brunswick College.
From Brunswick College, Dr. May worked for Texas Instruments and Gifford-Hill and Company. When Dr. May left Gifford-Hill in 1986, he and his wife, Leigh Ellen DeMasi formed an environmental consulting company that provided services throughout the world.
Dr. May enjoyed his children and liked to travel. His favorite charity was Shriner’s Hospital.
