JAMES HAROLD MAY

Services for James H. May, 88, of Kilgore, will be 2 p.m. Friday, October 30, 2009, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church with Rev. Darwood Galaway and Rev. Ralph Rudy officiating. Interment will follow at Kilgore City Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Kilgore. Mr. May died Wednesday, October 28, 2009, in Longview.

James H. May was born on October 30, 1920, in Malvern, Arkansas, to the late S.B. Curtis May and Ruby Wood May. The family moved to Longview in 1931 where Mr. May was a 1937 graduate of Longview High School. He continued his education and graduated Kilgore College in 1939.

Mr. May served in the Army Air Corps during WW II. He finished his college career in 1949, graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering. James began his career in the West Texas oil fields before returning to East Texas in 1959 as the Senior Resident Engineer for the Texas Highway Department in the Gregg County office. Mr. May was very involved with the design and construction of Interstate 20, and its route through Gregg County.

James chose to take early retirement from THD in 1974 to open and manage May Engineering Company in Kilgore. He worked the remainder of his career as President of the company, and was a Registered Professional Engineer, and Registered Public Surveyor. In the 1991, Mr. May retired from May Engineering. James was a longtime member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Kilgore.

Survivors include his stepson and daughter-in-law, Del and Lane Threadgill of Dallas; two grandsons, Mat and wife Erin Threadgill, Warren and wife Bonnie Threadgill, all of Dallas; two great-granddaughters; one sister-in-law, Juaneva May of Longview; and several nieces and nephews. Two brothers, Wayne and Robert May, and wife, Jo Threadgill May, precede James in death.

The family received friends Thursday, October 29, 2009, at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Margaret Matlock Nursing Scholarship, C/O the Kilgore College Foundation, 1100 Broadway, Kilgore, Texas 75662. Please leave online condolences www.raderfuneralhome.co m.