Deborah "Debbie" West May

Deborah (Debbie) West May, age 75, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, passed away on Thursday, February 26, 2026. She was preceded in death by her husband Kenneth Y. May, her parents Robert (Bob) A. and Betty A. West, her brother Edward (Eddie) West, her brother-in-law Teddy (Butch) Catron, and her nephew Dustin Catron.

Debbie grew up in the Jonesville community and was a longtime member of Jonesville United Methodist Church in Oliver Springs. She attended Orchard View Elementary School and Oliver Springs High School. She married Kenneth on October 26, 1971, and together they raised their two sons, sharing many happy years until his passing in August 2023. She worked as a seamstress at Harriman Hosiery Mill, as an office administrator and receptionist for Fowler’s Furniture Store, and later as a teacher’s aide at Willow Brook Elementary School in Oak Ridge until her retirement.

An avid hiker, Debbie loved exploring state and national parks. She and Kenneth enjoyed motorcycle trips along the East Coast and through the mountains, often accompanied by her brother Bobby and his wife Sherry. She cherished the annual Fourth of July gatherings at the lake house, a tradition that began in her childhood as family camping events and continued to bring together relatives and friends from Indiana and beyond. Active and always on the go, Debbie placed her husband and sons first and was known for going out of her way to help family and friends. She lived a full life filled with love, and she will be deeply missed.

She is survived by her sons, Shannon P. May (Amanda Flowers) and Brian M. May (Alexia Vickery); her sister Sandra (Sandy) West Catron; her brother Robert (Bobby) W. West (Sherry); nieces Shantel Tanner (Kelly) and Laci Catron-Lowe; nephew Trevor West (Lindsey); grandnieces Ivy and Lilyanne Tanner, Paizley, Jazmine, and Azalea Lowe; and grandnephews Blake and Braden West.