Obituaries

May M. Perry, née Noonan, 91, of Burlington, KY, was celebrated to her Heavenly home on April 8, 2026. With loving family throughout the house and by her bedside, a gentle afternoon breeze escorted her jubilant spirit to reunion with her Savior.

Born on April 27, 1934, in Toledo, OH, she was the daughter of the late Lyle Noonan and Loretta Rains. She graduated from Norwood High School. A longtime member of Immanuel Baptist Church, May was a woman of devout faith. She wasn’t simply a true believer in words but professed through actions and her way of life. Every day she demonstrated her dedication to the Lord; whether you were someone she knew and loved or a stranger.

Countless times, May opened her heart and her home to those in need. A lover of animals, she rescued dogs and cats. She possessed the self-reliance all country folks do – raising her own food, tending to her garden, fishing, canning and freezing and gathering firewood for the stove. She passed these skills on down to her children on her farm in Nonesuch, KY.

May’s career centered on caring for and nourishing folks – she worked as a cook and a restaurant manager for many years. Nearly every day, May would pull double duty where she worked a shift at The Glitz (the restaurant inside Irish Acres Antiques) or, later at Frisch’s and then came home to labor in the garden. Cooking wasn’t merely a means to an income – it was a calling, a ministry and a love language for May. She often experimented with new recipes and refined other old standbys. And while looking back, May may have had but modest resources; she provided for her family and her community abundantly, using innovation, creativity, and of course, unconditional love.

May was the beloved mom of Barb Bowman and Vickie “Lynn” Sheares (Jim) and grandma to Daryl (Maria) Skeens, Katelyn Bird, Ezekiel Bird, Amber Poynter, Cody Holland, and Amber Skeens as well as a great-grandma and even great-great grandma to several. She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands Jack Bowman, Sr. and Robert Perry; as well as her son Jack Bowman, Jr. , Susan Bowman, and siblings Gayle Noonan and Carol Simpson.

Friends and family will gather to share memories, find solace in one another's company, and honor the beautiful life May lived on Friday, April 17, 2026 from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM at Immanuel Baptist Church, 7183 Pleasant Valley Road, Florence, KY, 41042. The funeral will be held directly after visiting hours at 1:00PM, also at the church. Immediately following the funeral, May will be laid to rest gently and comfortably at Burlington Cemetery, Burlington, KY, 41005 (at the intersection between KY 18 and Carlton Drive).

Memorial donations may be made in person at services or by mail to Immanuel Baptist Church, 7183 Old Pleasant Valley Way, Florence, KY 41042, USA.