Return to Class of 194111/10/2009
Maj. Gen. Joseph “Joe” Gale May, age 86, died on November 10, 2009, in Pensacola, FL.
He was born August 3, 1923, in Arcola, ILL to William Bingham and Mary May of southern Indiana, the sixth eldest of nine children.
The family moved to Knoxville, IA in 1929 where Joe graduated High School in 1941.
He married Allyene Speed on May 3, 1942, before enlisting in the Marines and serving in the Pacific Theater of WWII. After being released from active duty in February 1946, Joe enlisted in the Iowa National Guard and began a career, which culminated in his promotion to the rank of Major General and an appointment as the Adjutant General of Iowa.
General May served as AG from 1969 until his retirement from the military in 1977.
He was married to Allyene for thirty-five years until her death in 1976.
It was then that Joe became reacquainted with Gwendolyn Appelquist at Knoxville’s 35th reunion of the Class of 1941 and they married in 1977 and relocated to Gwen’s home in Pensacola, FL.
Joe is survived by his wife Gwen; his brother Don; his two daughters from his first marriage, Jolene Bryan of Des Moines, IA, and her husband Jim, and daughter Marty Gunhus who resides in New Bern, NC with her husband Michael.
His daughters gave him four grandsons: Chad and Joel Thorpe, Eric and Jeff Gunhus; and eight great-grandchildren: Zach, Derrian, Deven, and Tanner Thorpe, Jackson, William, Daniel, and Caroline May Gunhus.
Gwen’s two sons Rick and Dave Appelquist gave Joe three granddaughters Nikki Trojnar, Kirsten Germana, and Cori DuPray, and three additional great-grandchildren: Matthew Germana, Gavin, and Logan DuPray. He will be dearly missed.Joe May
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm Sunday, November 15, 2009, at First Presbyterian Church with Dr. Randon Jackson officiating. A reception will follow services in the church parlor.
Presbyterian Church, 33 E. Gregory St. Pensacola, FL 32501; the Autism Center, 5192 Bayou Blvd. Pensacola, FL 32503; the Council on Aging of West Florida, 875 Royce St. Pensacola, FL 32503 or Covenant Hospice, 5041 N. 12th Ave. Pensacola, FL 32504.
HARPER-MORRIS MEMORIAL CHAPEL is in charge of arrangements