Billy Joe May

Billy Joe “B.J.” May, age 94, of Marion, KY passed away Sunday, June 15, 2025 at Livingston Hospital in Salem, KY.

Billy Joe was a member of Marion Baptist Church.  He was an active deacon for many years and served in various other roles.

In 1949, he graduated from Salem High School and went to work for the state’s highway engineers who had an office in Marion.  In 1952, he entered the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany.  Upon returning to the U.S., he would eventually work as a land surveyor for Reynolds Aluminum Company.  The company performed a lot of core drilling in Crittenden, Livingston and Caldwell Counties.  While at Reynolds Aluminum, he traveled to Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida and Illinois.  He also had several opportunities to visit and work in Brazil.  After retiring from Reynolds in the mid-1980s, he went into business for himself as B.J. May Land Surveying.  In 2012, he retired his surveyor’s license.  He said one of the greatest satisfactions of his career included gathering information in fields and determining angles and distances and then bringing the work back to the office to view.  A lot of things you work on for weeks, months or years and don’t see any actual evidence, but with surveying you can see what you’ve done.

After his second retirement from B.J. May Land Surveying, he was asked to return to work as a land leasing consultant for Appalachian Spar.  He was a founding member of Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum Board of Directors and previously served on the Marion City Council.

Billy Joe is survived by two daughters Pat Waddell and Donna (Bennie) Johnson of Marion, KY; grandchildren, Sandie Waddell, Marion, KY; Scotty Johnson, Salem, KY and Troy Johnson, Greenville, KY; great grandchildren, Taylor Crabtree, Salem, KY, Cheyanne Doom, Dycusburg, KY, Hailey Johnson, Salem, KY; Avery Johnson, Fredonia, KY and Miley Johnson, Salem, KY; great great grandchildren, Kayson Crabtree, Paisley Doom, Ivy Doom, Sage Doom and Kaleb Crabtree.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Louise Edwards May, his parents, Raymond and Elizabeth Farris May, one brother, Donald May and infant sister, Mary Ella May.

Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 AM Thursday, June 19, 2025 at Myers Funeral Home, Marion, KY with Bro. Chris Clarke and Bro. Aaron Brown officiating.  Burial will follow in Mapleview Cemetery.  Friends may call Wednesday evening between the hours of 5:00 and 8:00 PM and from 8:00 AM until funeral time on Thursday.

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