Charles Edward Mays

Charles Edward (Ed) Mays, age 86, passed away on July 7, 2014 in Hemet, CA. Ed was born on February 26, 1928 in La Junta, CO. After graduating from high school in La Junta, Ed enlisted in the Navy for two years and honorably served his country from 1946 - 1948. Ed attended the University of Michigan on the G.I. Bill and graduated in three years with a degree in Russian. He then attended Harvard, where he received a Master's degree, also in Russian. In 1951 Ed met Margaret Clancy in Ann Arbor, MI, and they were married at the end of 1951, a marriage that would last more than 62 ½ years until the time of Ed's death. Ed and Margaret lived in Cambridge, MA while Ed was attending Harvard, then they relocated to Ann Arbor, MI until 1959. In 1959 Ed and Margaret moved to California, which was their home for the rest of their lives except for two years in Maryland from 1971 -1973. Ed and Margaret lived in many different places in Southern California and the Bay area during Ed's career as an employee and supervisor for the Social Security Administration. After retiring in 1986, Ed and Margaret lived for 25 years in Riverside, CA, moving to Hemet two years ago to be near their son, Dan, and his family.

Ed is survived by his wife, Margaret, and three children: John of Clayton, NC; Mary of San Francisco, CA; and Dan of Hemet. He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Eric Favant of Raleigh, NC; Patrick Mays of Clayton, NC; Sara Mays of Denver, CO; Caroline Mays of Pomona, CA; Daniel Mays, Michael Mays, and Theresa Mays of Hemet, CA; and Rebecca Leiner and Leah Leiner of San Francisco, CA. Ed is also survived by one great-grandchild, Sebastian Favant of Raleigh, NC. He was predeceased by his parents, Claude and Nell, and his brothers Robert and William, and his sisters Marian and Jean.

Ed was a lifelong fan of his alma mater, the University of Michigan, and he was especially proud when the Wolverines won a national championship in basketball and shared one in football. He was also a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs, and he passed on that character defect to his children and some of his grandchildren who are also Cubbies fans. At a time when many fathers didn't spend much time with their children, Ed was outside every evening playing ball with his own. Ed was an avid collector of toy soldiers, and he enjoyed war gaming with his kids when they were growing up. Ed was a very intelligent man, a Phi Beta Kappa and Mensa member, who loved learning. After his retirement, he took at RCC in various subjects, enjoying art, music, and seven different languages the most. He loved to write and authored short stories in his younger years. Ed's favorite board game was Scrabble, and he also enjoyed doing the daily Jumbles word puzzles in the paper. Ed particularly enjoyed winning at whatever board or card game he played, and he also enjoyed crowing about the win. He loved music and sang in both the Latin and English church choirs. He was a fervent supporter of life; for years he prayed the rosary one day a week in front of Planned Parenthood for an end to abortion.

Ed was a kind and gentle man who will be greatly missed by his family and his friends. May God give Ed the peace and everlasting reward of a life well lived.