Lois Hall May, 89, of Botetourt County, passed away Monday, December 7, 2020. She was predeceased by her parents, Grover and Erna Hall; husband of 51 years, Ernest F. May; son, Timothy D. May; granddaughter, Amy Michelle May, and brothers, James and William Hall.
Surviving family includes her children, Carolyn (Cary) Webster, Terry (Susan) May, and Brenda (Wayne) Lovelace; sisters, Phyllis Jennell, June (Gary) Burcham, and Martha (Lester) Spradlin; 6 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of her life will be at 2:00 PM on Friday, December 11, 2020 at the Lotz Funeral Home Chapel in Vinton. Interment will follow in Hillcrest Cemetery. Please note that SOCIAL DISTANCING and FACE COVERING MANDATES will be observed.
Online condolences and a LIVE WEBCAST of the service may be found at www.lotzfuneralhomevinton.com
The children’s perspective
Mama was the third child of six, born to Grover and Erna Hall. She excelled in school and told stories of walking the mile up the road to her house each day after school, reading all the way, having to catch up so her brother would not get in trouble. Her love of reading lasted until she broke her hip. Mama always wanted to be a teacher and took pride in the teachers in our family. Her childhood was spent post-depression, playing with cousins, working hard to help at home and being part of a generous loving family. She had four sisters who until she died, still talked on the phone and made trips together.
She married the love of her life at 18 and had all four of her children by the time she was 27. They were married for 51 years until his death 20 years ago. Daddy was always the light in our house and mama was the heart and foundation of our home. They were a team that had each other’s back and it was clear for anyone to see the love the two had for each other.
Mama set the standards and kept us all on the right path. She was small in stature but larger than life in our eyes. Her love and belief in us knew no bounds. She always saw more in us than we saw in ourselves. That belief propelled us to reach higher and accomplish things that would not have been possible without her foresight. We grew up knowing that what she said went, that we were loved beyond words and that both parents were behind us all the way. From the beginning we knew we could go home anytime, we had only to ask and the door was open, no questions ask. Mama had such a strict code of discipline but each punishment came with a lesson. I think I can say that any of us would have rather she spanked us than have that sad, disapproving talk when we were going down the wrong path. We did not have much but our home was rich with love and laughter. As a teenager, I can remember her rocking me on her lap when I was sick. I was way bigger than she was but I can still feel her arms wrapped around me, rocking me in that squeaky rocking chair. I know Terry and Brenda could share the same stories if ask. Her pride was not in her own accomplishments but in the accomplishment of her children and grandchildren. She loved to tell anyone who would listen how proud she was of each of her family members. Each of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have special memories of their time with her. She was quick to say she had no favorites but each of us would tell you that she made each of us feel we were the favorite.
Always so stoic, so grateful, so polite, and so kind to everyone. Mama was quiet, never complaining, and never had a bad thing to say about anyone. She could find the good in everyone. Mama had no tolerance for whining or selfishness.
Our blessings are many but having her as a mother was at the top of the list. We pray we can continue to live up to her belief in us and honor her memory by passing the values to the next generations.
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