Blue Skies and Honest Days: A Life Well Lived

Born in Lismore and raised under the blue open skies of Chinchilla, May’s early years were shaped by the land and the lessons of a working farm. “Life was simple,” she recalls, “and we made do with what we had”.

May met her husband Ken before the world changed. Their honeymoon plans to visit Tasmania were put on hold as war broke out. They married in Toowoomba before Ken was called to serve, and May moved to Gaythorne to live with her sister. There, amidst the challenges of wartime, they both welcomed their first sons and leaned on each other through the hard times.

Gaythorne became a place of comfort and community for May. “I remember the smell of the garden and the chatter of two young mothers doing their best with what they had.” After the war, the family moved to Silkwood in Far North Queensland, where Ken became a school principal and May returned to teaching Home Science. She found joy and purpose in helping young girls learn the skills of running a household—skills that built confidence and independence.

Years later, May and Ken finally made that long-awaited trip to Tasmania. “It was everything we had dreamed,” she said. “The joy of something delayed but not forgotten.” It’s a beautiful reminder that some dreams are worth waiting for.

May’s favourite colour is blue—perhaps a reflection of the endless Queensland skies or the soft Tasmanian seas. Her story is filled with moments of laughter too, like the time they accidentally left their dog behind in Scarness in Hervey Bay and had to drive back to find him waiting, tail wagging.

Through it all—wars, floods, raising three boys—May and Ken’s partnership was their anchor. “We weren’t perfect, but we were honest,” she said.

It’s honesty that May offers as her wisdom to the next generation. 

“Be honest with yourself, with others, and with life. It will carry you farther than charm or cleverness ever could.”

As we celebrate her remarkable life, we’re reminded that the truest legacies are built not in grand gestures, but in honest days and blue skies.