May R. Sanders
1941 - 2009
 May Sanders was born June19th, 1941 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.She was the youngest of five children. May immigrated to Canada in1964 and later became a Canadian citizen. She went to the Centre for Christian Studies in Toronto to study for ministry in TheUnited Church of Canada. It was during her education that she came out to Alberta as a student minister, to Ministik in 1971, and that she fell in love with the west. Following her commissioning as a Deaconess in 1972, she went to Summerlea in the Montreal/Ottawa Conference between 1972-1974. From there she went to Bridge Street United in Bellville, Ontario as Director of Christian Education from1974-1975. May went to Kingston Institute of Pastoral Care in1975-1978 and took Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training. She was Pastoral Associate at Calvary/Zion in Kingston, Bay of Quinte Conference 1975-1978. In 1978 May worked as Student Chaplain at Kingston Psychiatric Hospital until 1979. May got her Bachelor of Theology degree and was ordained from Queens University in 1979. She was then placed in the Denbigh-Matawatchan, Ontario pastorate from 1978-1980. May’s yearning for the west was granted to her by becoming one of the United Church Ministers at St. Albert United in Alberta. She stayed there until 1982 and then became part of the pastoral care team at the Edmonton General Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta until 1983. In 1983 May went to the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta and took a CPE course under the supervision of Rev. John Swift from1983-1984. She was certified a Specialist in Institutional Ministry in 1984. Following this she came back to the Edmonton General Hospital for a brief time and then became coordinator for Out-of-Town United Church visitors in the Edmonton hospitals. When this position was eliminated she became a member of the Pastoral Care Team at the University Hospital. While working at the University Hospital May started taking the steps toward certification as a Supervisor in CAPPE. Her supervisors were Rev. Hal Paulson and Rev. Donald Grey. May left the University Hospital in 2001when she was called to be the Minister at Milk River, New Dayton, and Coutts United Churches and served there until 2005. A diagnosis of cancer forced her to return to Edmonton, Alberta to receive treatments.
May held the following positions during her time of ministry in the United Church of Canada.
- Secretary Christian Development Division of Mission for Montreal Presbytery.
- Member of Christian Development Mission Bay of Quinte (North Region).
- Member of Education and Students Committee in the Division Ministry Personnel and Education Renfrew Presbytery.
- Member of Outreach Ministries for Edmonton Presbytery.
- Member of Pastoral Care Committee for Edmonton, Alta. Presbytery.
- Secretary of Pastoral Care Committee for Edmonton, Alta Presbytery.
May was an accomplished Highland Dancer. She danced for Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation celebration in Edinburgh, Scotland. She taught Highland dancing in Scotland and Canada and was granted her Judge Certificate, and judged dancing in Canada and the United States.
Her dancing skills led her to enjoying live theatre, especially musicals.
She was an avid reader.
Her favorite vacation spot was Jasper, Alberta, where she enjoyed the beauty of the mountains. This was made more enjoyable when she was able to take our little dogs along for the vacation. A highlight for May in 2006 was a cruise to the Panama Canal.
May died on September 9th, 2009 at the University of Alberta Hospital.
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