Richard B. May

Richard B. May passed away after a sudden and brief illness on May 9, 2025. Rick faced this as he did with every challenge; with grace, courage and strength, and his family is endlessly proud of him.

Rick is survived by his childhood sweetheart and wife of 57 years, Carol (Tryon); his daughters Leah (Mark) VanOrden, Erin (Joseph) McMahon; his grandchildren Samantha & Nicholas Tartaglia; Sister-in-Law Joan Schroeder; Brother-in-Law Dean (Les) Tryon; Siblings John (Terri), Jimmy (Paula), Kitty (Ken) Bowers, and Kevin (Ann) May, as well as 15 nieces and nephews, and a host of remarkable friends collected over the years. Predeceased by his parents Emil and Helen (Callan) May; siblings Mary Dee (May) Roberts and Terry May, and Brother-in-Law David Schroeder.

Rick was born on September 22, 1946, in Batavia, NY, to Helen (Callan) and Emil May, joining his big sister Mary Dee. Rick was followed by five more siblings: Terry, John, Jimmy, Kitty and Kevin. Helen and Emil moved the family from Caledonia to Charlotte when Rick was in 3rd grade. It wasn’t long before Rick met his future wife Carol, who lived around the corner with her twin sister Joan.

Rick and Carol became an item at Charlotte High School and graduated together in 1964, wishing each other “love and mooches” in their yearbooks. As Carol planned to attend New York Agricultural and Technical College at Delhi, Rick enlisted in the Marine Corp to serve his country. In 1966, Rick departed Camp Pendleton to report to Vietnam, where he served in Logistics support. Returning to the US in 1967, Rick married Carol on August 26, and they settled into on-base housing in Beaufort, SC for the remainder of his service.

Upon his honorable discharge from the Marine Corp, Rick and Carol returned to Rochester, NY where Carol worked at Eastman Kodak Company while Rick completed his associate’s degree at Monroe Community College. Rick graduated and spent a short time at Tropel before joining Eastman Kodak Company for the remainder of his career. Rick worked for a majority of his Kodak days in Toner and Developer Manufacturing in Building 349.

In 1977, Rick and Carol welcomed their first daughter, Leah. In 1978, Erin joined the family, firmly establishing his “Girl Dad” status. Rick spent their childhood years spectating T-Ball and dance recitals, building snow caves, constructing box forts, and raking expertly shaped leaf piles for soft landings. Rick regularly shared his love of hockey, slapstick comedy, and Far Side Comics with his daughters.

Rick became a Grandpa to Samantha in 2002 and Nicholas in 2004. His Grandpa time was spent at karate events, soccer games, band concerts, and volleyball games. Spending time with Samantha and Nicholas was the highlight of his life.

Rick enjoyed hitting the YMCA treadmill, playing beach volleyball, and driving to Hilton Head, SC with Carol every year. Every Saturday night was double-date night with Carol, Joan and her husband David. The four of them had a lengthy list of favorite restaurants over the years. Because of his love of road trips, upon his retirement Rick joined Enterprise Rent-a-Car shuttling cars from point A to point B, ensuring he had a steady supply of “road candy” and a full iPod playlist.

We are all better people because of Rick. The wisdom, love and support he provided to his family was endless, and his absence will be impossible to fill.

Family and friends are invited to call on Wednesday, May 21 from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Services are planned for 11:00am on Thursday, May 22 at Farrell-Ryan Funeral Home, followed by inurnment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Honor Flight Rochester to support local veterans and their families.