Christopher John May

Christopher "Chris" John May was born on February 4th,1954, at Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the second of three sons of George Robert May and Margaret Mary May nee Grace. Chris was preceded in death by his parents, as well elder brother James "Jimbo" May and younger brother Joseph "Joe" May. He was also the widower of his beloved second wife Margaret Anne O'Connor.

Chris grew up in St. Ann, Missouri and attended Pattonville High School. From his teenage years and onwards, he acquired a life-long love of music. Throughout his life, he studied the guitar, banjo, piano, dobro, bass guitar, saxophone, autoharp, clarinet, and the concertina, among others. He was self-taught in some areas and received lessons in others, including learning the Andres Segovia method of playing classical guitar. Until his very last days he continued to play, explore and create music. For many years he traveled across the country for folk music festivals and workshops. His interests in music varied as much as the many instruments he played, from classical guitar pieces by J.S. Bach to John Prine and beyond.

In his working life, Chris was a machinist. His work took him all across the United States, including Puerto Rico, as well as to Canada and Northern Ireland. In retirement, he transitioned skills learned as a machinist into woodworking, as both a hobby and as a business (but mostly it was a hobby.) He enjoyed bringing his woodwork to area farmers' markets and creators' fairs.

Chris joined Alcoholics Anonymous on November 1st 1986, nearly making his 40th anniversary as member before his passing. AA was an anchor in his life, in which he made many friends through the decades, supporting and receiving the support of many.

Chris was an avid bicyclist, participating in area rides such as the Moonlight Ramble, along the CATY Trail and Cycle Across Missouri Parks, as well as participating in longer rides from Missouri to Washington state, down to California, and back. He also loved walking area trails and parks with friends, and also with his faithful dog, Llewie. He also enjoyed camping and float trips, even when the canoe tipped.

At home, Chris was an avid reader. For many years, he maintained a strict routine after he returned home from work: He would make a glass of YooHoo chocolate milk, fill a bowl with mini-pretzels, and then sit down at the dinner table with whichever novel he was currently engrossed in! In addition to reading, he enjoyed television and films, foremost science fiction, westerns and detective series. He especially liked British television, and said he was an Anglophile in that regard.

As a person, Chris was a good friend to many, a loving and supporting father, and a great grandfather. He was a very friendly yet gentle man, with a great sense of humor and a good sense of proportion when it came to the ups and downs of life. He was also defined by the contrasts that created his character. While he was very open-minded intellectually and artistically, he was very conservative when it came to food. His family lovingly joked that the most exotic foreign fare he enjoyed was pizza (which took a mighty struggle to get him to try in the first place!) Even when it came to the subject of his own mortality, he could find humor, once joking that he wished for the title song from the 1978 movie Convoy to be played for his funeral procession. Above all, he was someone you could turn to for perspective in times of difficulty. In tough situations, he would quote the aphorism: "Remember, this too shall pass."

While Chris has left us in life, he will live on in the memories and hearts of his family and friends, on whom he made such a wonderful impression. We will miss you and cherish your memory.

Chris is survived by his son, David, grandsons Robert and Christopher, daughter-in-law Jackie, step-grandchildren Shawn, James, Evangela, Mykayla and Paul, his niece Tara and first wife Kim May nee Sebastian; And by his many friends from AA, music, cycling and crafting.

A visitation will be held at Alexander-White-Mullen Funeral Home, 11101 Saint Charles Rock Road, St. Ann, MO 63074, on Sunday, November 8, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.