May Elizabeth (Rice) Mahy
1931 – 2021
May E. Rice Mahy, age 90, passed away at her home in Surprise, Arizona on Thursday, December 16, 2021.
She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 6, 1931, and she was one of 6 children of Elijah Lincoln Rice and Florence Hyatt Rice. She was always proud of her Deaf Heritage through her father’s family.
May attended Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, Pittsburgh all her life and graduated in 1951. May enjoyed reading and writing. She was involved with swimming and Girl Scout activities. She was voted “Queen of Class of 1951”.
In 1952, May married Melvin S. Slagle and had 3 children: Daisy Mae, Alan Norman, and Lucy Ann. May’s family moved to California in 1962. Then in 1965, May married Forrest W. Mahy and they had been together for 29 years until he passed away in 1994. They had dogs and cats with them.
May was proud that she worked for NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration – through working at subcontractors Rockwell and Boeing. She was skilled at soldering wires and other parts on circuit boards; connecting wires through color codes; and organizing and distributing stock parts for spaceships and airplanes. At one time, she worked with a team on the wiring system inside a Space Shuttle.
After her retirement from the aerospace career, May kept busy with making dolls and stuffed animals; doing cross stitcheries; tatting dollies and snowflakes; and sewing quilts and other materials for families and friends. She liked to visit and/or stay with one of her 3 children for a while.
Although May was a survivor of an abuse, caused by her foster family, and a serious car accident; she strived to be positive and always had been kind and caring. May deeply loved and cherished her 3 surviving children and their families who love her dearly.
Condolences may be sent to the care of Daisy Cartwright for May’s family at:
1. cartwright2012@suddenlink.net or
2. 150 W. Mexican Hat Trail, Flagstaff, AZ 86005.
In lieu of flowers, please send your gift in memory of May E. Rice Mahy to:
1. ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) or a local animal rescue center or
2. GoFundMe – Support Deaf Cause in Nepal Link: https://gofund.me/3fb6f4f0
Thank you for spreading out your kindness and love in memory of May E. Rice Mahy.
