Celebrating Partners in the Community - The May Brothers

STAMFORD – There are many types of communities, but generally it is  people who hold a common interest and live in the same area. The people who make up a community can be very diverse and Stamford is no exception.

There are those who are the true definition of what a community should be, involved and caring.

The May brothers, Robert and Jimmy, moved to Stamford with their parents and older sister in 1969, while they were still in school. Their grandparents lived here and their dad, Robert May, wished he could live here full time. They came from Whitestone, Queens and their dad wanted to get them out of the city. So, the kids all attended school in Stamford and their dad commuted. He worked as a union carpenter in the city and returned to Stamford on the weekends. 

Jimmy May, is a kind of gadabout, which makes him a wealth of knowledge. If you want to know who's celebrating a birthday or who got into some trouble, Jimmy usually knows and he usually knows what he's talking about. Because of that, Ken Smith, his former employer, calls him the "Mayor of Stamford". "And I mean that in a very good way. He keeps track of everything that happens and he lets people know when he sees that something that isn't right or something needs to be addressed," said Smith.  "He will speak up and let someone know."

For instance, if he sees someone has left the lights on at CORE Values, where he volunteers, he will go in and shut the lights off. He has cleared the snow from the sidewalks there and at Delaware County Real Estate across the street and at the Methodist Church, it isn't unusual to find him at TPs at 5  in the morning to see if he can help out with something.

He is the grapevine of what's going on in the community, making his rounds, checking in here and there to see what's going on. He is a regular at Stewarts, TP's Café, CORE Values, and other places. For many years he worked at Catskill Craftsmen, where Smith was his boss until May was forced into early retirement for health reasons. He knows almost everyone in the community, said Smith.

He said Jimmy is always offering a helping hand and Robert is always willing to help out as well.

Robert is a little bit more reserved. He is the more serious partner of these two brothers and the elder one by three years. He still works at Robinson-Terrace where he is a janitor, but has also worked in the kitchen. He has worked there for 44 years and is the longest tenured employee at the facility.

After their father passed, the two lived with their mother in the family home on West Main St.. Alice May passed away in 2022 and the home they all lived in was sold. The May brothers then moved into an apartment on Main St.. 

Robert does the housekeeping and Pat Cannon said it is immaculate.

"Everyone in the community was worried about what would happen to the two brothers when their mother passed away," said Smith. "But the community has stepped up and keeps track of them and they are doing fine. That was their older sister's concern as well, but she said they were insistent they did not want to leave Stamford.

They often eat at TP's Café and Jimmy admits they don't cook, although Robert can do a few courses, such as pasta, sandwiches and burgers and they do use the microwave. Jimmy worries about his older brother, saying he crashed his bicycle a couple of years back on his way home from work and he thinks he hasn't completely recovered. "I keep telling him he should go and get it checked out."

That's how Jimmy is, even though he has his own health issues.

While their sister does worry about them being on their own now, she said they seem to be doing well.

Robert needs to be encouraged to get out more, she believes. He is reserved, just like she is, while Jimmy is the social butterfly of the trio.

Jimmy recently became a member of the Stamford Fire Department and you will often see him checking up on things around the firehouse and the walk is never slippery when Jimmy is around. 

This past Saturday, TP's Café held its annual Ugly Sweater Contest, but it was also Jimmy's 65th birthday. They threw a surprise affair and those who knew him brought scratch off Lottery tickets.

He received so many and he may still scratching them off. There was a birthday cake and everything and the May brothers enjoyed the day. They ended at the Stamford Fire Department's Christmas Party where the Grinch very carefully carried a cake full of lighted candles, while Santa officiated. Jimmy received a few more scratch off tickets and a card from his SFD buddies.

Robert was happy for his brother and enjoyed the fact his brother was getting all the attention.

The duo is part of the community and more than 235 people wished Jimmy well on Facebook. Next month it's Robert's birthday.