Rosa Shannon May

ROSA SHANNON MAY was born on Oct 1, 1930, into the Olive and Shannon families, both early Pasadena settler families. She graduated from Pasadena High School in 1949, the same school from which her mother had graduated in 1927. Seven years later, she met and married W. B. May Jr, known to the family as “Sonny”, on Oct 27, 1956. Their marriage would last over 40 years, ending at his death in 1997. A seventh generation Texan, she was very proud of her Texas heritage, descending from Christian Smith, his wife, Rachel Pafford, and their daughter Eleanor, all of whom immigrated to Texas with Austin’s original colonists, known as The Old 300. Eleanor would later marry John Riley Rhea, who arrived in Texas about 1826. Through these connections, she joined the DRT and was a charter member of The Descendants of Austin’s Old 300. She loved animals, particularly cats and dogs, and provided homes for many through the years. After a lengthy illness, she entered into rest on Aug 12, 2017. She was predeceased by her husband Sonny, her parents, O. C. (Cleaver) and Irma (Olive) Shannon, her brother Marvin W. Shannon, her sister, Evelyn Shannon Wilbourn, and 2 nephews, Richard Henry Wilbourn and John Marvin Shannon. She is survived by 3 nieces, Theresa Shannon Harrison, Twyla Shannon Spicer and RoseDawn Wilbourn Blanton, and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews. Visitation will be Friday, August 18 from 5:00 – 8:00pm at Grand View Funeral Home. A Celebration of Rosa’s Life will be held Saturday, August 19 at 2:00pm at Grand View Funeral Home.