Joy Lee May, 91, went to Heaven to be with her LORD on April 15, 2026. She was born near Farmington, Ark., on October 6, 1934, to Clifford and Katie (Thurman) Clevenger. She was the last surviving sibling of the 10 Children born to Clifford and Katie Clevenger. She was raised in Farmington, helping her dad with the farm and her mother around the house and garden, also helping to take care of her bedfast brother. She attended Farmington Schools, graduating in 1955. She loved Basketball scoring an average of 22 points per game for the Farmington Cardinals. There she met Jimmy Dean May and they were married June 11, 1955. She became a Marine wife and they finally settled in the Harmon Community West of Tonitown, Ark. And after raising their 3 children, she worked in restaurant service spending her last 10 working years at McDonald’s in Springdale. Joy loved gardening, fishing, and hunting with Jimmy. But, most of all she loved being with her children, grandchildren, working in the Church with the Youth Groups, and participating in mission trips here as well as in Haiti.

She is survived by her husband Jimmy Dean May of 72 years; daughter, Sandy and Thomas O’Dell of Avoca, Ark; son, Richard and Rosmarie May of Eppelheim, Germany; daughter, Nancy and Earl “Deno” Phillips of Siloam Springs, Ark.; grandchildren, Jason Cline, Tiffiny Ables, Trevor and Ashley Phillips, Audrey Bayless, William “Billy Paul” and Martina May, Tyler Phillips and Mariah Mallot. Great-Grandsons Xander Modisette, Grayson and Noah Phillips, Jayden Phillips and his brothers Barrett and Oliver Baylis, and soon to be born Baby Boy May.

A memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m., Saturday. May 2, 2026, at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, 12845 Walnut Valley Rd., Rogers, AR. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.