James May

Date of Birth: 11/08/1925 | Date of Passing: 07/09/1994 | Date of Funeral: 07/15/1994

JE as he was called or “Pop” to many, was a Merchant Marine in World War II. He spent his younger years in Pikeville and Prestonsburg working in the coal mines. After the War, he and his wife, Rosanne, were stationed in LA. He became fast friends with a young couple of actors named Ronnie Reagan, and Humphrey Bogart. They would hang around the cigar bars around LA and play cards. They met when Mr. Bogart was filming Caine’s Mutiny and JE was an extra on the film while still in the service. He loved life and animals, wanted to be a jockey but that dream only lasted about a year when new height requirements made him too tall. He was a brilliant electrician and could fix anything. He would often joke if it couldn’t be fixed with super glue or duct tape, then it couldn’t be fixed.