Joan "Joni" May

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
They rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:  Thou anoints my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:  And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The mother of Kelly, Kriss and Kayla, and grandmother “Honey” to Kyle Ryan passed away on
January 19, 2022 after a fight with Alzheimer’s. She was young at heart, 79 by years.
“Unless you knew our mom before the illness you really can’t understand how sad this really is.”
Joni was a true pistol with a magnetic personality, we were so lucky to have been a piece of her life.

Joni was full of love, light and life.  She was an amazing woman and we are proud to have been her children.  Joan had a multitude of passions and talents; she never saw a challenge that she couldn’t overcome or a skill she couldn’t master.  She always told her children they could do anything.  She was always ahead of her time.  She loved fashion and would comment how pretty was not always practical.  She was outgoing, entertaining and a true go-getter!

Honey, to us that knew her well, led a rich and full life.  She was a loving, kind and beautiful yet at times a frustrating soul.  When she set her mind to something, she always put in the effort and made it all happen.

Some of Joni’s talents were:  Seamstress for the Topeka Ballet, Belly Dancer, Nail Technician, Fashion Show Announcer, Decorator, Painter, Professional Taxi Driver (delivering her children to enormous amounts of lessons), PR Marketing for Kempo Karate of Topeka, KS, Head of the PTA.  She loved running, spinning, bicycling, shopping, and her little dog “Blondie”.  Let’s not forget her interest in men and fast cars, she was a beautiful woman and never looked or acted her age.  She worked several jobs, usually multiple at a time and loved her work.   She worked hard to have fun and took vacations to celebrate, she loved seeing new places.

Everyone that knew her, loved Joan.  She lit up a room and loved the center of attention.

Please share how you knew Joan/Joni/Honey and add to the wonderful life of the wild and wacky woman she was.  Help us cherish the happy times and wonderful memories of her life.

We loved her and she loved us.

Joan was survived by her brother and sister, Leonard and Ann Urban.  Her son-in-law, Sean Crahan. Her three children, Kelly Crahan, Kristopher May and Kayla May and her grandson, Kyle Shoptaw.

The family is planning a memorial for Joni in the spring of 2022.  Once the details are solidified, we will announce the information on this page.

Any donations can be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association or Meals on Wheels Association of America .