WAKE FOREST - Carla Gillespie May, and James Elton May Jr., husband and wife, died unexpectedly on Sunday, May 10, 2020 at the ages of 56 and 59 while scuba diving off the North Carolina Coast.

They are survived by their children, Amanda, Adam (Rachel), and Rebecca May; their siblings, Brian (Trisha) and Chris Gillespie, Tamra Fuller and Todd (Tracey) May; and their mothers, Carol Gillespie and Peggy May. They are predeceased by their fathers, Charles Gillespie and James Elton May.

Carla and Jimmy fell in love while in school at UNC Chapel Hill in 1983, and married in 1985. They loved nothing more than their children and family, the salt, and the sea.

Carla and Jimmy were pharmacists and avid master scuba divers, and loved to spearfish at any opportunity they could find. Carla made it her mission to build up pharmacies that provided quality service to needy populations, and was always looking to help someone in need. Jimmy was a resourceful and creative man who was always taking on any project, big or small, and regularly completed major house and boat projects without breaking a sweat. Both had a special energy they carried with them, bringing light and laughter into any room they entered. They will both be sorely missed by their family, friends, and all who knew them.

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, their children have requested donations for the Mission Blue Alliance, an ocean-saving charity that protects vital hotspots of ocean activity from disruption. Donations can be made at https://mission-blue.org/

Arrangements are by Strickland Funeral Home & Crematory, Louisburg, www.stricklandfuneralhome.net.

Paid Obituary