Obituaries

Elissa Simpson May-Plattner (“Lissy”) departed this life on April 20, 2025, at the age of 90. She was born in Louisville, KY, in 1935. She graduated from Frankfort High School and Bennett Junior College in Poughkeepsie, NY. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and, as a debate champion, she traveled the country for competitions. She went on to get a master’s degree in history from Xavier University and a PhD from the University of Cincinnati.

She married Kenneth Plattner in 1959, and with their four children—Margaret, Denny, Andy, and Betsy—they made their home in northern Kentucky and Tampa, Florida. She taught grade school in her early years, eventually moving on to teach high school and college. For 20 years she taught English and literature at the University of Cincinnati, Clermont campus.

Lissy’s love for her family in Frankfort held true, and she was close to her beloved siblings, Maggie and Willie, frequently sailing the highway between Campbell County and Glenary Farm in Frankfort to spend time with them, both for business and for pleasure. She was deeply devoted to the memory of their parents, William H. and Betsy May. Her enduring love for her mother, in particular, was luminous. It was a devotion Lissy inspired in her own children and in her grandchild, Linton Elissa, whom she welcomed with such joy in 1998.

She was a great lover of gardens, with a soft spot for cosmos, zinnias, and bachelor’s buttons. You wouldn’t think spreading some garden soil on newspapers and broadcasting a couple packs of seeds over it would produce much, but under her hands, it produced a thing of country beauty every year. And every year, she waged an ongoing battle she called “Mowers versus Growers,” in which her morning glories would fall at least once per season to a careless weed-whipper.

She loved all of nature and introduced her daughter-in-law to the nature writer Sue Hubbell and the poet James Still, among others. Her adoring children fondly teased her about her fondness for “sticks and bugs.” For many years, a special treat in her schedule was the Elderhostel at Chautauqua Institution in New York. She may also have been Amtrak’s best customer, as she loved to travel out west by train, from exploring lighthouses along the Oregon coast to riding the rails through the Canadian Rockies.

Tall and beautiful, Lissy could have played the diva, but her nature was too kind, too light-hearted and self-deprecating. Yet she was also, in the old-school sense, a lady. She was never seen in trousers; in fact, the record does not show that she ever owned a pair. She navigated the paths of her life in knee-length khaki skirts and Keds, often with a salmon-colored sweater or jacket; on special occasions, like Linton’s christening, she adopted a pair of flats or sensible low heels.

Lissy was tremendously giving of her time. She served 12 years on the board at the University of Kentucky, 20 years on the board at Berea College, and on Kentucky’s Prichard Committee. During those years she was deeply honored to meet the Dalai Lama, Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former president Jimmy Carter. In memory of Denny, she and Ken contributed to numerous causes, with the beneficiaries including Berea College, Northern Kentucky University, Hanover College, and Our Lady of Providence Senior Secondary School for Girls in Kwasi Buokrom, Ghana.

She was also involved in local and statewide politics, supporting candidates who could help move the state forward on education and social-justice issues. She served on the board of the Northern Kentucky Boys and Girls Club for many years.

Lissy was preceded in her passing by three of the people she loved most in the world: her elder son, Denny; her granddaughter, Linton, who called her Zumu; and her brother, William S. May. She is survived by her beloved husband, Kenny, and their children Margaret, Andy (Diana), and Betsy; her sister, Margaret; and her niece and nephews, Nan May, Bill May, B. Patterson (Jane), and Graydon Patterson (Marianne)

Those who would like to make a memorial gift in Lissy's honor are encouraged to consider the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kentucky, 36 E. 10th Street, Newport, KY 41071.

Service is at the convenience of the family.

Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Homes caring for Elissa and her family. Special condolences and memories may be given at www.dmefuneral.com.