ROLAND THORNTON MAY – May 5, 1930 – March 13, 2006
Posted by: Marlin in Family, This Terrestrial Life
“Roland Thornton May was born May 5, 1930 to Edgar H. May and Ruby T. May in Atchison Kansas. Roland grew into an avid student. From an early age he was interested in electronics. Once, as a child, he accidentally broke the family radio while playing in the house. His mom and dad were understandably upset. By the next day, he had repaired the radio. It was in perfect working order.
“He was also a student athlete. At Atchison High School he excelled and lettered in track and field, and in football.
“Roland attended Washburn University and the Municipal University of Wichita. He studied engineering and physics and continued his successful participation in sports.
“During the Korean conflict, Roland interrupted his university education to enlist in the armed forces. He served tours of duty first with the United States Army, and then with the United States Air Force.
“After his honorable discharge, Roland resumed his university studies at West Coast University, where he earned a BSEE degree. He also attended the University of Southern California.
“On September 1, 1959, Roland married Ethel of Rosenberg, Texas. They settled first in Los Angeles, where their son Marlin and daughter Vanessa were born. The family then moved to Lake View Terrace in the San Fernando Valley.
“His working career was spent in the aerospace industry as an Electrical Engineer. He contributed to a multitude of projects for the nation’s defence and scientific achievement, including the B-1 bomber, the Maverick missile, the F-14 Tomcat and the Space Shuttle.
“Roland was a voracious reader of philosophy and science fiction. He enjoyed technology, sailing, fishing, gliding, classical guitar and civic volunteering. He volunteered for organizations including the Boy Scouts of America as a Scoutmaster, Junior Achievement, the Lake View Terrace Improvement Association, the YMCA, and the Friends of the Lake View Terrace Library. He also volunteered at the Pacoima and Veterans Administration libraries.
“Roland was preceded in death by his sister Isabel H. May-Hambric, his father Edgar and his mother Ruby.
“He is survived by his wife Ethel, his children Marlin (spouse Ron) and Vanessa, an aunt Francis and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, family and friends.”
It took me quite some time to post this about my dad. I guess it is still taking some getting used to.
Entries(RSS)
May 8th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Yes, that picture really is you, Marlin. Or rather, you really are that picture. Know that we are thinking about you and love you.
September 11th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
[...] some digging, I’ve been able to identify my Dad’s old guitar. It turns out that it is a 1961 Harmony [...]
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:07 pm
[...] September 1, 1959 Ethel married Roland May of Atchison, KS. They bought a home together in Los Angeles, where their son Marlin and daughter [...]
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:37 am
[...] Stands Alone”. Their a cappella “Never the Same” made me cry. I guess those feelings will be raw and near the surface for some time yet. echolyn never seems to disappoint and this [...]
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:54 am
Dear Marlin,
My name is Clavis Ballard. I am the great grandson of Mariah Baker Hunn (1866-1969). My great grandmother was the younger sister of Nannie Baker Thornton (1862-1939). I saw your family information on Ancestry.com.
About a year ago we found some old photos from my grandfather’s (Clarence Hunn) album. There was a picture of your grandparents Ruby and Edgar May on a postcard from Sylmar, CA.
In the 1870 U. S. Federal Census, our family was in Burkesville, Cumberland, Kentucky. The Bakers moved to Hiawatha, Kansas in the mid 1880’s with our great great grandmother Isabell Baker (1830-1928). According to the Kansas records, your great grandmother was married to Preston Thornton (1856-1923).
The Thornton family moved to Atchison, Kansas in the early 1900’s while the Hunn family remained in Hiawatha before moving to Trinidad, Colorado in the early 1920’s. The family of Clarence Hunn has been in Los Angeles since 1945.
This past summer I visited Hiawatha, Kansas to meet members of the Baker family. Although most of them are in their 80’s and 90’s, they remember your grandparents and your father Roland Thornton May.
If I have written to the correct family member, it would be nice to exchange family information. I can be reached at the following email address: cajmusic@sbcglobal.net.
Your Cousin,
Clavis Ballard