May Burgess, 84, of Palm Bay, Florida passed away on February 2, 2025, after recent struggles with Parkinson's disease. May Gondelli was born on February 26, 1940, in Rochester, New York to Arthur and May Gondelli (her mother's namesake). May was the eldest of two daughters; she had one sister and a "life friend", Janice. Her father, Arthur, was an engineer, so the family moved to Baltimore, MD for his work.

They spent several years living in the Pennsylvania suburbs and Philadelphia area. As a teen, she and her sister lived in Connecticut mostly with her mother, after her parents divorced. Later, her father married her stepmother, Gay Gondelli, retiring to the New Jersey shore. While May and her sister never lived at the Jersey shore, the sisters and their families visited frequently and fondly recall bike rides on the Atlantic City boardwalk and great Italian seafood meals prepared by Chef Gay.

May attended women's college at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. She studied Education and later received her master's degree in biology. She taught elementary school in Philadelphia and then in Winchester, Massachusetts.

May met Wayne Burgess, married him in 1964 and the couple moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey while he attended and then graduated from Rutgers University. Their eldest child and son, Guy was born, then daughter, Alyson. Later, second-daughter Adrienne was born when the family lived in Abington, PA. For Wayne's work, the family moved to Winchester. They enjoyed New England life and spent many family vacations at their cottages in Cape Cod.

The family later moved to the Melbourne Beach area of Florida in 1980. May was an on-and-off, substitute teacher and worked at Dillard's before retiring. Frequently, she volunteered in schools as a Roving Reader, reading to classrooms. May loved watching Jeopardy! Her other passions were Books and Reading – she kept a list of every book she read. She was well known at the local Brevard libraries frequenting weekly, and as a member of several book clubs even until late 2024.

May was a wonderful cook, always preparing meals for her family. She loved nature and animals, which were reflected in her home décor and art. She loved to garden and travel. One of her favorite trips was to meet family in northern Italy in 1998 and visit her great-grandmother's house. She later traveled back to Europe several times and enjoyed visiting museums, attending music performances and theatre, and enjoying local cuisine.

May remained in Brevard County until her death on February 2nd, 2025. She is survived by her son, two daughters, son-in-law, granddaughter, brother and sisters-in-law, cousins and nephew, their spouses, and children. She will be missed dearly by their family and friends. Everyone regularly notes she was special and the nicest person.

A celebration of the lives of May and her husband, Wayne is planned at Davis Sandwinds Funeral Home in Eau Gallie, Florida on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at noon.

Instead of flowers, please consider supporting these non-profit organizations: Friends of Brevard County Libraries , Every Library , or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research