Obituary of Mildred May
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Mildred E May passed away suddenly on June 19th at the Sunrise of Morris Plains Assisted Living Facility. She was 98.
"Mimi" as she was known, had a long career as both a singer and vocal instructor. After receiving her Bachelor of Music degree from Syracuse University, she was offered scholarships at both Eastman and Julliard. She achieved her Masters degree at Columbia. Professionally she appeared at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Radio City Music Hall and Opera Cameos on NBC. Managed by Columbia Artists, she sang with Opera Companies in NYC, Chicago, Montreal, Seattle, Cleveland, Boston, New Orleans, Baltimore and most often, in Philadelphia. She had appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburg Symphony, NJ Symphony and the Boston "Pops" Orchestra.
After moving to Denville with her husband Arthur (deceased 1984), they joined and became president and vice-president of the Boonton-Mountain Lakes Concert Association. Mimi served as President and Program Director for the MacDowell Club of Mountain Lakes and served many years on the vocal faculty at Montclair State. She was a member and past president of the NJ Chapter of the National Association for the Teachers of Singing (NATS). One of her most proud accomplishments was the establishment of her studio and the "Arrowhead Singers", a group she created to give her students and other singers the opportunity to perform opera in local venues.
She is survived by her cousin, Raymond (Bill) Ellor and his wife Ellen. Bill and Ellen have three sons, David, Christopher and his wife Katie and their two children Lily and Luke, Jay and his wife Laura and their three children Tyler, MacKenzie and Dylan. There are also many friends and students who will miss her.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The MacDowell Club of Mountain Lakes. C/O Robert Zufall Treasurer, 15 Scenic Drive, Denville NJ 07834. A Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, June 28th at 10:30 am at the Glendale Cemetery, 28 Hoover Ave in Bloomfield NJ. A procession will depart from Norman Dean Home For Services, 16 Righter Ave., Denville at 10 am. All are welcome.
A musical memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 16th at 2:00 pm at the Community Church of Mountain Lakes, 48 Briarcliff Road, Mountain Lakes, NJ. Please go to www.normandean.com to light a candle in Mimi's memory.
