Obituary of Nancee May

Nancee May began life on April 3, 1947 in Philadelphia as a second generation Polish American, strong willed and determined to succeed. Her birth certificate identifies her as Florence Nancy Kempista, and her family called her Nancy. In school she changed the spelling herself, dropping the y and adding a double e, explaining that she was no ordinary person and did not want an ordinary name. Nancee’s life would indeed prove to be extraordinary. The family moved to Riverside when Nancee was nine years old, and the small New Jersey town would never be the same. On Saturday, January 10, 2015, Nancee answered the call to take her characteristic passion to a heavenly place where she will no longer suffer physical pain and will be reunited with her late husband, Al, as well as her beloved father, Edward. Nancee May is survived by a large family and even larger circle of friends. She leaves behind her mother, Florence Kempista of Delran. She also leaves two sons, Michael (Jennifer) of Delanco and Jeffrey (Melissa) of Riverside as well as her treasured granddaughter, Kaylie, also of Delanco. She has two sisters, Loretta Davies of Virginia and Denice Becker (John) of Riverside. Nancee attended school at St. Casimir’s in Riverside and graduated from Riverside High School, where she met her future husband. They made their home in Riverside, allowing Nancee to indulge a love of Boost and cream puffs from the L&M Bakery. Nancee had a talent for testing boundaries, and she used this to become the first woman to hold an elected position in Riverside. As part of the Township Committee, she served as Director of Public Safety and Director of Public Events, implementing programs that have become beloved traditions in Riverside. Nancee proudly continued to organize and direct the annual Riverside Memorial Day parade until her death. No one else knew as well how to focus attention on a string band or just which groups should and should not follow the horses. Her parades have delighted hundreds of residents of Riverside and the surrounding towns for many years. Nancee’s true passion was her community, and this lead to her lifelong service in politics. She became involved with the New Jersey Federation of Democratic Women and was eventually elected its president. She also served as vice-president of the National Federation of Democratic Woman and was Eastern Regional Director as well. She successfully planned and participated in many national conventions for the Federation, using her natural tenacity to make each event a success. Nancee built her career with the State of New Jersey, providing valuable services in various roles. In 2007, she was appointed Legislative Liaison for the Department of Agriculture. Her duties in this job included communication with state and federal elected officials and lobbying for legislation to protect and benefit New Jersey’s thriving agricultural industries. Nancee will be remembered by those closest to her as a woman who always strove to create the perfect presentation, whether that meant having enough food for an army or always keeping her hair fluffed and curled. In fact, her boys will tell you that each time they traveled with their mom, they would spend extra time in the security line while an agent combed through Nancee’s carry-on bag to be sure that the funny shape on the machine wasn’t a weapon. The boys asked her many times not to pack it, but Nancee would not be without her hair dryer. Nancee May saw many parts of the world during her time on Earth, but her heart was always true to New Jersey. This state she loved has lost a great supporter, and life in Riverside will be a little bit less exciting without Nancee May.