Tom May

Detailed Experience

Death and Dying

As an ordained minister, Tom has often served in the role of funeral celebrant or officiant. Tom counsels people during one of life's most difficult times – working through the process of loss and grief. He has served churches in the Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio areas. He has officiated at funeral services, coordinated funeral and wake activities, and smiled and wept with those who have lost loved ones. His writing credits in the area include ghostwriting content for websites and magazines on the grieving process.

Grief and Bereavement

While serving in churches, counseling individuals and families dealing with the urgency of an impending death became a weekly aspect of his ministry. Often the pastoral process continued as the loved ones worked through bereavement. Tom has also led seminars on grief recovery and working through the stages of grief.

Communication

Tom has served as an adjunct instructor at Indiana University Southeast for over twenty years. Teaching Introduction to Public Speaking and Interpersonal Communication, he shares the structure and strategies necessary to effectively influence others using words. Tom writes a weekly inspirational column for the News-Tribune , a newspaper serving southern Indiana. He has authored a handful of books and written content for newspapers, magazines, and websites.

Personal Interests

Tom is an avid sports fan, enjoying college basketball and major-league baseball the most. His bucket-list includes spending an entire spring watching pre-season games in Florida. He also enjoys travel; he and his wife spent a week on a cruise ship touring the Mediterranean area around Italy and Greece. Additionally, Tom enjoys music and plays the saxophone.

Married to his wife, Elizabeth, for over 30 years, the two have four adult children and two grandchildren.