Rebecca May
Born in 1950 in Blackfoot, Idaho, “The Potato Capital of the World,” Becky was the eldest of the five children born to Homer and Beverly Adams nee Powell. Becky passed away of heart failure on January 1, 2018 at Cottage Hospital. She is survived by her loving husband of 38 years, Tom (Goleta, CA), and by her stepson Tom of Susanville, CA, stepdaughter Alicia of Greenville, CA, mother Beverly of Provo, UT, brother Mike of Bountiful, UT, sister Kim of Paradise, CA, brother Jeff of Concord, CA and brother Greg of Provo, UT.
Becky moved around a lot as a young girl, living in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Santa Ana, and Sunnyvale – her father being a Ford Motor Co. executive who was transferred a lot. When asked as a little girl what she wanted to be when she grew up, she replied “a secretary.” And that is what she did, ultimately becoming the secretary to the last four administrators at the Casa Dorinda. She was attracted to the Casa’s classic beauty and gracious lifestyle. Though devoted to her husband she was also dedicated to her job and was proud to say she worked at the Casa Dorinda, her home away from home.
She loved to read and had a large personal library, hundreds of hardcover books filled her office at home. Mostly romance, but mystery, science fiction, and sleuths, too. Her favorite poem was Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways.” She loved the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, and almost all TV westerns, Her favorite sports team was the Chicago Bears, while her favorite foods were sharp cheddar cheese and roast beef sandwiches.
She was in charge of a large crew of receptionists at the Casa Dorinda. She was particularly solicitous of their welfare, and they returned great loyalty. She was, as her daytime main receptionist said, “one in a million.”
She had a Mormon upbringing and it gave her peace of mind to show love and respect for her religion and its people right to the end.
So, we see a common thread running throughout Becky’s life — loyalty. To her husband and family. To her employer. And to her religion.
God bless you, dear Becky.