Morris Eugene May Sr.

Born the 18th of May, 1940 in Charlotte, he was the beloved second born child of the late Virgil May and Margaret Elwood May.

When Morris was very young, he unexpectedly lost his father. Virgil’s passing was distressing for the whole family; suddenly Morris and his sister, Evelyn, were fatherless and their mother was without a husband and co-parent. While this was an incredibly trying time in their lives, it wasn’t long before this forlorn family of three became four again when Margaret married Harry “Banks” Frye. Banks was a true blessing to the May family; he earnestly accepted his new role as a husband and father and treated Morris and Evelyn like they were his own.

As a born-and-raised Charlottean, Morris attended Harry P. Harding High School on the west side. His boyhood years were filled with endless baseball and horseshoe games, and he established his love of the outdoors early on with numerous trips camping in the woods.

When he was 15 years old, he met Miss Amelia Ann Waddell who was only a mere 12 years old herself. Though they were quite young, their love quickly grew strong, and following Morris’ 1958 high school graduation, they became husband and wife on the 30th of June, 1959.

As a young man, Morris got his very first job at a local Belk department store where he developed his customer service skills, saved up his money, and began realizing his true career dream: to start his own business.

As soon as he was able, Morris opened his own service station and ran it successfully for several years. Eventually, in 1961, he moved on from the service station and started another business selling and installing flooring, and thus May’s Floor Finishing was born. Morris built his business from the ground up, catering to the flourishing Charlotte community and surrounding suburbs for multiple decades, even through his move to Albemarle in the mid-90s. During this time, his entrepreneurial spirit even led him to open a bar with his son called Albemarle Afterdark, which they co-owned and operated for four years.

Finally, in 2006, Morris decided it was time to retire and May’s Floor Finishing closed their doors permanently after more than 40 years of operation.

Despite all the years of hard work he had to show for himself and more than earning his right to relax, his newfound retirement lasted less than a year. Morris hated the idea of being idle so he decided to put all his flooring knowledge to good use by going to work for his son’s Albemarle-based business, aptly named May’s Quality Floors. This new position was the best of both worlds; he got to continue doing the work he knew so well and loved, while also avoiding all the responsibility that comes with running a business.

Though Morris spent most of his life committed to working hard and running businesses, he still found time to pursue the things that brought him joy. He was an old car fanatic and a devoted gardener to his flower beds, particularly fond of the flowers that lived year round with no concern for the seasons. If he didn’t have any yard work to do, he would try his hardest to find something that needed tending to or fixing, but if all else failed he would settle onto the porch rocking chair, just happy to be outside.

Morris wholeheartedly lived his life guided by the phrase, “Life’s too short to be a stick in the mud.” He demonstrated this mindset through his outgoing nature, love of good conversation, and readiness to joke around. Being thoughtful, helpful, and generous were second-nature to him, and his good personality was noticed and admired by all.

After Morris’ mother passed away in May of 2010 he decided it was time to relocate to Liberty Hill, SC where his daughter and her family lived. It wasn’t long before his son joined them, and Morris got to live out the last decade of his life surrounded by his loving family.

Those left to remember Morris include his daughter, Gloria Baker and her husband, Steve; his son, Morris “Marty” May Jr.; his grandchildren, Matthew Baker and his fiance, Denise Shirey, Ashley Baker, and Nathan May; his cousins, Gene Elwood and Tommy Swing and his wife, Shirley; as well as numerous other loving family members and great friends.

Morris has been reunited in Heaven with his cherished wife who passed away in 2004, Amelia; his father, Virgil May; his mother, Margaret Frye; his step-father, Harry “Banks” Frye; and his sister, Evelyn Smith and her husband, Howard.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Monday, the 27th of December, 2021 at Forest Lawn West Funeral Home, 4601 Freedom Drive in Charlotte.

The funeral service is to be conducted at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, the 28th of December, 2021 in the Paul Helton Chapel at the funeral home, where Pastor Chris Baucom is to officiate.

The committal service will follow at Forest Lawn West Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Morris’ memory to the American Cancer Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, or the Humane Society of Charlotte.