Martha Lucretia Owen May

Published 4:30 pm Friday, January 2, 2015

Martha Lucretia Owen May
Pensacola, Fla.

Martha Lucretia Owen May, 76, cherished wife, loving mother and precious lifelong friend to many, passed away Dec. 31 in Pensacola, Fla.
Known by her family as Martha or Lucretia, her friends knew her as “Lu.” She was born in Talledega on March 15, 1938 to Brinton and Loma Owen.
Graduating Shelby County High School in Columbiana, she attended Auburn University (War Eagle!) where she earned her teaching degree.
Lucretia married her sweetheart, Donald Lynn May, on Jan. 2 and together they had one daughter, Martha May Newton. The couple went on to enjoy 55 years of celebrating family, exploring the great outdoors and giving back to the community.
Lucretia was a lifelong member of the Auburn Alumni Association and an inquisitive member of the UWF Leisure Learning Society.
Her strong faith in God was evidenced by her devotion to His church and she enjoyed being an active member of the Scenic Heights Baptist Church fellowship (now Potential Church) and an avid supporter of the Golden Flamingos Sunday School class.
She took great interest and humble pride in her membership of Impact 100, Pensacola Bay Area and was excited about their positive, tangible achievements on her second hometown of 49 years. She believed in contributing time, energy and resources to support others through a variety of charities over the years and was generous in doing so.
Lucretia was the epitome of a Christian Southern lady, known for her sweet smile, gentle demeanor and never failing hospitality. She demonstrated a fervent love for her family and friends, enjoyed studying the financial markets, always found time to cook and always made time to connect with her loved ones.
She and her devoted sweetheart enjoyed a lifetime of outdoor adventures; trekking parts of the Appalachian Trail in 5 states, years of camping, beach and lake vacations and countless fishing expeditions. She could bait the hook, land and clean the fish and then make a delightful meal for all.
Her optimistic, calming spirit is sorely missed already.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Brinton and Loma Owen; her brother, Brinton A. Owen and her niece, Tara Owen.
Lucretia is survived by her husband, Donald May; daughter, Martha Newton; granddaughter, Madelyn Newton; grandson, Daniel Newton; niece, Townley Owen Crowe; grand nieces, Abigail Crowe and Shelby Crowe and many loving cousins, family and friends.
The family will receive friends Monday, Jan. 5 from 5-7 p.m. at Harper Morris Memorial Chapel. Lucretia’s celebration of life service will be held Tuesday, Jan. 6 at Potential Church in Pensacola, Fla., at 1 p.m. Interment will follow at Bayview Memorial Park, Pensacola, Fla.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the church of your choice or to IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, P.O. Box 13304, Pensacola, FL 32591-3304.
Our loss is Heaven’s gain!
Condolences may be made at Harpermorrismemorialchapel.com