Linda Kay May

What is our only hope in life and death?

That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Linda Kay May, affectionately known as Honey Kay, Mommer, Mooley, and Nonnie was born on August 1, 1952, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and entered her heavenly home on August 22, 2025, at Kavanagh Hospice House in Des Moines, Iowa, after suffering a stroke on August 7.

Linda lived a life marked by love, faith, and compassion. A devoted follower of Christ, she found her strength and peace in knowing she belonged to Him.

Growing up on a farm in Peoria, Iowa (fondly called “Purie” by locals), Linda developed a love for kittens, the outdoors, and softball (earning the nickname “Run Run” for her speed around the bases). She was the first in her family to attend college at Grandview University, graduating from Iowa Lutheran School of Nursing in 1974. That same year she married the love of her life, Allen May, on a beautiful sunny day June 15.

Linda began her nursing career at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where she and Allen welcomed their first child, Stuart Allen. The family later moved to Ottumwa, Iowa, where Linda worked in home health care and celebrated the arrival of their daughter, Stacy Lynn. Eventually settling in the Des Moines area, Linda transitioned into financial services, working for Equifax, Sears Credit, and John Deere Financial before retiring in January 2020.

Linda lived with a quiet yet adventurous spirit—learning to ride a bike at 23, dipping her toes in the Great Salt Lake and losing a shoe, determined to find snow at Pikes Peak, riding a jet ski on her 50th birthday, and courageously facing and surviving both skin and thyroid cancer. Through it all, she embraced life’s challenges knowing Jesus walked beside her every step of the way.

As a wife, Linda was the perfect match. Her name means “beautiful,” and she truly embodied it—inside and out. When she met Allen in 1971 at a Navigators retreat, he knew she was the one, drawn to her beauty, her faith, and her love for Jesus. Through every season, their love and God’s grace carried them.

As a mom, she worked hard to provide her children with new opportunities she had not experienced growing up. Stuart and Stacy credit her encouragement and gentle guidance for shaping who they are today.

Linda’s talents were many. A gifted left-handed writer with beautiful penmanship, she loved sending and receiving cards and always included a well-meaning Bible verse with her inscription. She was known for her legendary seven-layer chocolate pie (only she knows the secret), cinnamon rolls, cookies, and her mom’s famous buns. She crocheted baptismal gowns for each grandchild, played the piano beautifully—especially hymns—and sang with a sweet, clear harmony. She loved singing Jesus Loves Me to her grandchildren when they were little. She also found great fulfillment in guiding children at Sunday School at Crossroads Fellowship CRC, sharing her faith with warmth and love.

In recent years, she enjoyed Bible studies, Bunko, and Bingo games with friends, along with daily walks to reach her 10,000 steps—taking her final steps doing what she loved.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, William and Jeanette Andringa; her nephew, Kurt Vernooy; and her grandson, Cameron Judah May.

She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Allen May; her son Stuart (Sarah) May and their children Lauren, Kennedy, Pearce, Oakes, and Maddox; her daughter Stacy (Naval) Tandon; sisters Donna (Bill) Vernooy and Alva (Marv) DeBoef; and brothers-in-law Dean (Carolyn) May and Russel May.

Linda will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and all who knew her. And we rejoice in knowing she is now walking the streets of gold, free from pain, singing, “Glory to God in the Highest!”

Her final devotional reading was Joshua 1:6-9: “Be strong and courageous… Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

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In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Linda’s honor to support the mission and outreach of Jesus Christ through The Navigators.

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