Edd May
Edd May’s story is one of service, faith, family and community. Born in Leigh, Texas, on January 1, 1934, he grew up in a large farming family, one of ten children raised by Lynn Boyd May and Eujanie May. In 1951, he graduated as salutatorian from G.W. Carver High School in Karnack, Texas. He went on to serve in the United States Navy during the Korean War and was honorably discharged on October 25, 1954.
After his military service, Edd moved to Las Vegas with his wife, Rosetta, and made his home in the Historic Westside community. There, he helped raise his family and built a life rooted in hard work, skill and responsibility. His Navy training in construction and personnel management became part of the foundation for a long career in the construction industry. He worked as a journeyman carpenter, served as a general foreman and superintendent, and became a retired member of the Carpenters Union in Las Vegas. His work touched homes, freeways, hospitals, churches, hotels, fire stations, senior citizen complexes and facilities on Army and Air Force bases.
Edd also became the owner of E&M Construction Company, a minority owned business in Las Vegas. Through that company and his broader construction career, he was involved in important redevelopment work in Nevada, including the restoration of Nucleus Plaza in the Historic Westside. He also served for many years as Supervisor and Qualifying Employee for the General Contractor’s License at the Economic Opportunity Board of Clark County, helping others grow in the construction trades.
His service did not end with the Navy. In 1957, Edd joined the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the United States Air Force, as a commissioned officer. He flew search and rescue missions throughout the western United States and helped teach high school age cadets about aviation. He was also one of the first African Americans licensed to pilot a small engine airplane in Nevada, and he continued flying until 2004.
Edd was also a faithful Christian leader, a charter member of Victory Missionary Baptist Church, a teacher, a church trustee and a respected community figure. His life reflected a steady commitment to God, family, country and community. On January 1, 2014, the Clark County Board of Commissioners proclaimed “Mr. Edd May Day,” honoring the legacy of a man whose influence reached far beyond his own household.
