Sammye K May

Sammye K May was born on March 6, 1946 to Phil and Billie Jo Trinkle in Ft. Sumner New Mexico. She grew up in Vaughn, then Clovis, then Encino, then Clovis again, where the family stayed and the girls finished school. She graduated Clovis High in 1964 where she was Homecoming Queen and on the Cheerleading squad. She was on the yearbook staff, was quite active in several different organizations in school. She attended St. Michael's University in Santa Fe while she lived with her mother who owned the Pink Garter Saloon in Lamy, New Mexico. She moved back to Portales to attend ENMU in 1967 and graduated cum laude in 1970. In May of 1969, while at ENMU, she married Jerry May, a friend from high school who she spent 52 wonderful years with. In 1970 she started teaching special education at Marshall Jr High, and in 1971 they moved to Topeka, Kansas where she taught at Topeka High, and Highland High School. (Ironically this is also the name of the school in Clovis New Mexico where she spent her career.)
In November of 1973 they adopted the light of their life, their son Shane. In early 1974 they moved back to Clovis and in 1976 she started teaching at Highland Elementary where she taught special education until her retirement in 1998. She spent her retirement years with elderly friends, and loved ones, until Jerry retired in 2006. After Jerry retired, they spent their golden years together harassing each other, and immersing herself in whatever project she could come up with at the time including the Does auxiliary to the Elks lodge.
When Jerry passed away in 2021, she was welcomed as a member of St. James Episcopal Church where she was active until her death. She loved that Church, and she wanted more than anything for Fr. Simon to officiate her funeral when the Lord called her home.
She is survived by her son Shane, and her sister Phyllis and numerous nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren. Also, she is survived by K9 companion, her Great Pyrenees Delila.
She was proceeded in death by her husband Jerry, her mom and dad, and her sister Patricia Lee.
A viewing will be held on Monday April 6th at Steed Todd Funeral home from 9am to Noon, and a Celebration of Life will be held at 2pm at St. James Episcopal Church, 1117 N. Main in Clovis. At the conclusion of the service, we will proceed to Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens on Llano Estacado for a graveside prayer and final goodbyes.
After the service we will be going to Leal's for dinner, and everyone is welcome to come and fellowship in Sammye's name and share fond memories and fun stories about our time with her.