Richard Eugene May, formerly of St. Anthony, Idaho passed away Tuesday, December 29th, in Carlsbad, California, after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer"s.

Richard was born on June 30, 1937, in American Falls, Idaho, the first of nine children to Richard Allen and Dorothy B Nelson May. He grew up in the small community of Rockland, Idaho where his earliest memories were watching the harvesting of hay and grain.

He attended school in Rockland where he participated in sports and music, and was student body president. He attended Ricks College for two years and then served a mission for the LDS Church to the California Mission.

In 1959, he married Valora Misenhimer of Rockland. They lived in Salt Lake City for one year while he attended the University of Utah. In 1961, they moved to Pocatello where he continued his education at Idaho State University, receiving a Bachelor's Degree in English Education. During this time he also traveled each day to Rockland to teach seminary and English. He also coached JV basketball.

He and Valora had five children, Jeffrey Alan (Tracy) of Slidell, Louisiana, Shannon Marie (Jessey) Albertson, of Roberts, Idaho, Kimberly Nicole (Brian) Hart of Rigby, Idaho and two identical twin daughters, Margot, who died at birth and Allison who died at the age of four. This marriage ended in divorce.

In 1967, when he received his Bachelors Degree he began teaching English at South Fremont High School. He also assisted Steve Hubsmith in coaching football at South Fremont. In 1970, he married Betty Hargis Bankhead in Elko, Nevada. They were later sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple. They had two children, Angela Jeanne (Wade) Willden, of San Diego, California, and Jared Andrew (Katy) May, of Lexington, South Carolina.

Richard and Betty were teachers in Fremont County School District for over 30 years. Richard taught English, Government, and Debate and served as Assistant Principal at North Fremont and Principal at South Fremont. He was very active in the Idaho Education Association serving in several State and local positions. He also served as President of the Idaho Speech Arts Teacher's Association. He loved the students and teachers with whom he was privileged to associate.

He took a brief hiatus from teaching to develop some desert sagebrush land west of St. Anthony in the Egin area. He enjoyed the challenge of bringing the desert land under cultivation and making it productive farmland. He installed some of the earliest center pivot irrigation systems in the area. But his true love was always, not the potatoes, but Idaho's best product, the children. He sold the farm after three years and returned to teaching.

He was involved in many community activities and was a member of the St. Anthony Lions Club for many years, also serving as Deputy District Governor on the state level.

Richard was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, severing in numerous positions including Stake Missionary Leader, High Councilman, and Bishop of both the Chester Ward and the St. Anthony First Ward, and many years as a Gospel Doctrine teacher. He and his wife, Betty, served as Stake Missionaries in the West Yellowstone Ward, as Temple officiators in the Idaho Falls Temple, and as full-time missionaries in the St. George Temple and Historic Sites Mission.

While serving their mission in St. George, Richard and Betty decided they would make this their permanent retirement location. They spent 12 happy years there where they enjoyed golfing, traveling and many activities with missionary friends. Richard loved the church history enjoyed telling people about it. He participated in a live history program in St. George where he loved to portray Jacob Hamblin.
When Richard's health began to fail, they moved to California to be near their daughter, Angela.

He is survived by his children; brothers Michael (Janice) Las Vegas, Nevada, Greg (Jill),Pocatello, Idaho, Steve (Faith) Rockland, Idaho; sisters Sherry (Alan) VanOrden, Pocatello, Vicki (Norman) Kane, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Colleen May, Meridian, Idaho, 16 grandchildren and 8 greatgrandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Dana, a sister, Kaye (JT) Whitworth, and his
twin daughters.

Funeral services will be held in the St. Anthony LDS Stake Center, on Saturday, January 9th, at 11:00 a.m. Family will receive friends Friday, January 8th from 5:00-6:30 at the Bert Flamm Mortuary (581 E. 1st N., St. Anthony) and Saturday from 10:00 until 10:45 a.m. at the Stake Center. Graveside services will be held at the Rockland Cemetery in Rockland, Idaho Saturday at approximately 2:30 p.m. The family suggests memorial donations to the North Fremont Education Foundation at P.O. Box 187, Ashton, ID 83420 or the South Fremont Education Foundation at P.O. Box 263, St. Anthony, ID 83445.