Early life and career May was born in
Petone in 1912. He attended Petone convent school. He left school at 13 and found employment with
Lever Brothers, later studying engineering part-time at
Wellington Technical College. He then gained a job at the
New Zealand Railways Department in the late 1920s, where soon after his wages were cut by 10% as part of the retrenchment policies of the
United–Reform coalition government. He was also member of the
Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. At the outbreak of
World War II his position with the railways was classified as a
reserved occupation and he was ineligible to serve overseas. He subsequently served in the volunteer fire brigade to help fill the void of men that were overseas. After the war he left the railways and became the caretaker of the Petone waterworks. His family were active in the
Trade union movement and he was involved in politics from his days at school. His first political involvement was when he was aged only 7 years old when he held oil lamps to light a street-corner stump speech for Labour MP
Bob Semple on the corner of Jackson Street and Richmond Street during the . Throughout the 1920s he delivered Labour Party leaflets and attended party meetings with his grandfather Chip Oakley, a local baker. By the 1930s he was a local organiser and electorate secretary. He was also a member of the Hutt River Board and Hutt Power and Gas Board. something of a surprise as the influential former Labour Party president
James Roberts was the other main candidate. Ultimately he was defeated after the final count was made however finishing 168 votes (only 0.88%) behind Lambert.
Later life and death Following his defeat, May moved to
Waikanae with his second wife, Doreen, and became a gardener in his retirement. May died on 22 April 1995, aged 83 years. He was survived by his second wife Doreen and four children. ==Family and personal life==