Wyman May

Wyman Elder May, 94, of Hinesville died on February 6th, 2024, at his home. He was born in the village of Taylors Creek in Liberty County, Georgia, which is now a part of Fort Stewart, on September 30th, 1929.  At the age of twelve, he moved with his family to Hinesville, where he has lived since August 1941.  Wyman graduated from Bradwell Institute in 1946, where he was president of his senior class.  He then proceeded to graduate from Southern Business University in Atlanta.  

Returning to Hinesville, he was employed by Midway Oil Company, full or part time, for more than sixty-two years.  He served six years with the GA National Guard where he attained the rank of Sgt First Class.  His unit was called to active duty during the Korean War where he served as Supply Seargeant at Camp Stewart, Georgia, Camp McCoy, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois.  

Wyman served the Hinesville and Liberty County area with distinction. He spent eight years on the Hinesville City Council, including four years as mayor pro tem.  He served as a board member of the Hinesville Housing Authority, Chamber of Commerce, Liberty Memorial Hospital, and the Taylors Creek Cemetery Association.  Wyman also devoted twenty-five years as the vice president of the Fort Stewart Cemetery/Historical Council and the Hinesville Historical Preservation Committee.  He sat on the Board of Trustees of the Hinesville Cemetery for fifteen years where he set up the first records of burials and worked tirelessly for the management and beautification of the property.  In appreciation of his many contributions to the Cemetery, a plaque on the front entranceway honors his name in gratitude for his dedication and service.  Wyman also served thirty-five years as a director of the Hinesville Bank.  He was an honorary Lieutenant Colonel on the staff of Governor Carl Sanders from 1963 to 1967.  In 2019, he was recognized as a Marne Rockstar.  The Marne Rockstar program recognizes private-sector civilians in the local area for their endless dedication to Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield and includes having inductees’ photographs and descriptions permanently displayed at the division headquarters.  

Wyman was deeply interested in history and genealogy.  In 1986 he published a book on the families of the Taylors Creek area of present-day Fort Stewart.  He published books, including photographs and wartime letters, chronicling the lives of his two older brothers during the time they served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy during World War II.  In 1998, he published a book on the marked graves in the more than sixty cemeteries located in the Fort Stewart Reservation.  He also published books on several of the graduating classes of Bradwell Institute in Hinesville.  

Wyman was known for his Christian faith, gentle kindness, abundant generosity, sharp intellect, and keen sense of humor.  He will be greatly missed.  

He is preceded in death by his parents, Columbus Augustus May, Sr. and Nettie Stacy May; three brothers, Elbert Augustus May, who died as a young child of illness, Columbus Augustus May, Jr., and Walter Stacy May.  He is survived by his wife of seventy-three years, LaFayne Hodges May, several nieces and nephews, and his beloved pets Gracie, Molly, and Buddy.   

Funeral services will be held at the Carter Funeral Home Chapel in Hinesville at 3:00 pm Sunday, February 11th with the Reverend Douglas Force officiating.  A visitation will precede the service starting at 2:00 pm.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Liberty Humane Shelter, 279 Briarwood Cir, Hinesville, GA 31313.