Kenneth “Ken” Wilburn May
October 23, 1940 — June 1, 2026
Written by:
Lynn Towns and the May Family
Applegate resident Kenneth Wilburn May passed away this past June.
Ken was born in Tillar, Arkansas, and spent his childhood years in Dumas, Arkansas. He worked in the cotton fields, earning money to purchase two cows, which he milked every day. Those early years instilled in him the value of hard work and responsibility, traits that defined his character throughout his life. Leaving Arkansas in 1959 to join the United States Marine Corps, Ken spent four years at Camp Pendleton, California, and traveled to Okinawa, Japan. He was a field wireman, which was ironic, as he did not like heights. He always completed his duties, though, and stayed out of trouble.
While in the Marines, he met his wife, Beverly, at a skating rink one weekend. They wrote letters back and forth for nine months and dated for a year while he completed his time in the Marines. After his discharge on April 15, 1963, he and Bev eloped in Las Vegas on April 20, 1963. Bev hooked him into another contract five days later—for life.
Ken and Bev moved to Fullerton, California, where he worked as a truck driver for RJ Reynolds, Hawaiian Punch, Del Monte Foods, and, later, Lucky Stores. They lived in Fullerton for approximately 40 years, where they built a beautiful life and a loving family, raising their two daughters, Barbara and Bonnie.
Upon Ken’s retirement, he and Bev moved to the Applegate Valley. In Oregon for 24 years, Ken spent his days working on his property, taking care of all his animals, and spending countless hours working in his garden. Gardening was his passion, and he loved being able to provide fresh fruit and vegetables for his family and neighbors, as well as for Access and Food for Friends. Ken valued his friendship with neighbors and acquaintances. He was always available to share a story or joke or to lend a hand with a project, big or small.
Ken passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 85. He was a very quiet, soft-spoken man whose life was filled with kindness, generosity, humility, and resilience. In celebration of his life and passion for ice cream, the Hogan Road neighborhood hosted and thoroughly enjoyed an ice cream social. Oh, the stories that were shared…!
Ken’s final resting place is at Eagle Point Veterans Cemetery, where he was placed to rest on June 24 in a private family ceremony.
Lynn Towns
