Janet S May

Janet Stearns May died peacefully and comfortably at Blakehurst in Towson, Maryland, on July 7, 2023. She was 98 years young. Daughter of James and Esther Stearns; widow of Herbert A. May, Jr.; sister of the late James Stearns and Elizabeth Stearns Barker, Jan was the proud mother of Herbert A. May III and Elizabeth Stearns May. She is survived by both of her children and their spouses, Julia Barnes May and John Tevere MacFadyen, and her beloved grandchildren: Herbert A. May IV and Julia May, and Christopher and Sam MacFadyen. Jan was inexhaustable to the end. Her door was literally always open to a constant stream of friends and admirers. An avid golfer and tennis player throughout her life, she was a keen competitor on the court and at the card table. She stopped playing bridge – and winning! – only a few weeks before her passing. Jan’s tru joy was her children and grandchildren. She took immense pleasure in their many achievements, never missing a play or performance, a little league game or tennis match. Near the end of her life she followed her granddaughter’s progress in the NYC Marathon step by step on her iPad. Born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1924 she moved with her family to the coastal town of Cohasset in the early 1930s and attended Derby Academy and Milton Academy. As an adult, Jan lived in Cleveland, Ohio; Dedham, Massachusetts; and New York City before meeting the love of her life, Herb May, at the Hunt Ball at the Rolling Rock Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania in 1960. After they married she moved to Owings Mills MD where she raised their two children. In 2007 Jan moved into the residences at Blakehurst, where she thrived in the company of old and new friends, living her life to the fullest every moment of every day. Jan loved to travel and the walls of her apartment were crowded with photos of herself and her companions’ hyjinx in far flung places. She created a deep sense of community wherever she was, and among whomever she was with. Known to others by a range of monikers including “Tall Tan Jan”, “Mimi”, “Jansie”, “Momma May”, and “Ms. Jan”, she had a lasting impact on all she met. “Jan was beautiful, had impeccable taste and a gigantic heart” said Dr. William Fritz a dear friend and a generous soul. “She appreciated beauty in all forms. She particularly loved flowers and her living room was always replete with fresh arrangements. In her earlier life, she was a competitive golfer, competitive tennis player and a much sought after partner on the dance floor. She had a bright mind and was a brilliant bridge player which in later years she played almost daily. She was a talented water-color artist and produced many beautiful small paintings. She was a gourmet cook, a flawless hostess, a devoted mother, grandmother, aunt and a compassionate, generous, caring friend who enriched every life she touched” “Truman Capote is alleged to have said this about one of his doyennes: "She had only one flaw. She was perfect, otherwise she was perfect." That was Jan---a legend in our time.” In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Blakehurst Retirement Scholarship Foundation Inc.

Janet S May

October 1, 1924 - July 7, 2023