Mary Ellen May
Mary Ellen May, who retired from Dining Services in 2010, died April 16, 2022, in Normal, Illinois, where she had moved to be with family. She was 79.
Mary Ellen served Skidmore as a customer attendant/short-order cook from 1995 until her retirement. Colleagues described Mary Ellen as a faithful, positive employee who cared deeply about others.
鈥淪he was dependable, hardworking, punctual, and self-motivated, and had all of the other attributes that describe a good employee,鈥� said Dining Services Operations Manager Jamie Cherry. 鈥淪he was also a one-of-a-kind human being and a friend to everyone who got to know her. I referred to her as my Mom-Ellen.鈥�
Born July 12, 1942, in Catskill, New York, she earned a B.S. in Education from SUNY Oneonta and was the first person in her family to earn a college degree. Before coming to Skidmore, she taught elementary school, owned Saratoga Optical, and worked in the food service industry.
She is survived by three daughters, Mary Beth (Chuck), Mary Lynn (Kira), and Mary Pat (Brian); six grandchildren, Erin, Ryan, Maris, Gillian, Timony, and Marnie; and many close friends.