Gordon was predeceased by his father, Clovis Alexander May (d.1964) and his mother, Mrs. Maudie Ardena Tate, née Shockey (d.2004).
He bore witness to the deaths of his siblings: half-sisters, Carnell May-Tharp, Carlene May-Holland, and Carnelia (Neda) May-Black Amos; half-brother, Don D Tate; and brothers, Orel Dennis May, Sr., and James Elbert May; and of his children: son, Marvin, and daughter, Marlene.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Eiko; half brother, Rudy K May, and wife, Donna, of Udall, KS; half brother, Floyd Alvis Tate, and wife Pat, of Paradise, TX; and sister Lou Retha May, and husband Pete Hunter, of Norman, OK; step-son, Tami (Thomas) Wollaston, and wife Adriane, of Phoenix, AZ; step-daughter Nancy, and husband Denis Markey, of Prescott, AZ. Gordon was blessed with grandchildren: Kathleen Markey, and husband Mark McKenzie, of Anthem, AZ, and their children, Kylie, Rowan, and Kate; and Preston Wollaston and wife Yvonne Brook, of Phoenix, AZ, and his daughter, Daedree; and a myriad of cousins, nieces, and nephews in whom, his memory will live on.
Gordon grew up in rural Oklahoma and credited his parents with teaching him the self sufficiency that comes from life on a farm. After the family moved closer to Norman, he missed the delicious cobblers that his mom made with fruit fresh from the family’s trees. Gordon served an extended tour as a Radio Repairman for the USAF Far East Network in Tokyo, Japan, where he met Mrs. Eiko Wollaston, née Higure. They were married in 1966. He received an Honorable Discharge as an Airman, 1st class.
Loving the harsh beauty of Mount Lemmon from his days as a RADAR operator, when he returned to the US, he settled in Tucson. He became a fireman for the City, earning the rank of Engineer at Fire Station 17. He continued his education at Pima College, and was one of the first generation of Tucson firemen to be awarded an EMT Certificate. Gordon enjoyed gardening and was proud of the orange tree he and Eiko started from seed. He and Eiko were determined to give Marlene a full and rich life, despite her heart surgeries, and even though the hot-air balloon ride they took was a short one, Marlene spoke about it for weeks.
After his retirement, he shared the Gospel as both a Prison Chaplain, and an Evangelical Minister traveling to various countries as Nicaragua, Kenya, South Africa, and Australia. He authored an article of one such ministry called ‘Destination Madagascar’ and included pictures he had taken, as one of his favorite hobbies was photography. He was an enthusiastic volunteer at the Mountain View Church of the Nazarene, the Japanese Christian Church of Tucson, and the Tucson Baptist Church. He ended his days caring for Eiko in their Tucson home until entering Hospice of the Valley care in Phoenix.
Services will be held on Friday, June 14th, beginning at 10:00 a.m.. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the International Myeloma Foundation, of North Hollywood, CA.
The May Family would like to thank Pastor Aki Kawamata, of the Japanese Christian Church of Tucson, for his kind remembrance of Gordon.
Also: Doug McKenzie and piper Joseph Crandall, for two of Gordon’s favorite hymns, "How Great Thou Art", and ‘Amazing Grace”, respectively.
"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6: 24 ~ 26
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