Carol May | Obituaries | tucson.com

[ad_1]

76, wife, mother, grandmother, friend and chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of Wisdom Natural Brands® (maker of SweetLeaf® sweeteners), returned to her Heavenly Father with her family on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 back in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Carol was born on July 31, 1945 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She then moved to Phoenix, Arizona with her family at the age of 15. Two years later, Carol received a scholarship to study acting in New York City. Her lifelong passion was the love of the theater. However, fate came when Carol met the love of her life, James May. The two were married on November 22, 1963 at Mesa Arizona Temple and their future with James began. The couple shared a life of love. Together they had six children: David, James Jr., Steve, Michael, Shannon, and Erin. Even though she had a full house, Carol was successful in her education. She graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in Psychology in Magna Cum Laude; MA in Education, Summa Cum Laude, Northern Arizona University; MC Degree in Counseling Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, Arizona State University. In 1985, Carol joined her husband at Wisdom Natural Brands (now in Gilbert AZ) and together they built an international company that operates in over 50 countries.

Carol received five international Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2014 and 2015 (including Lifetime Achievement, Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year in Business, Lifetime Achievement, and Entrepreneur of the Year in Consumer Products). Carol was named a Top Women in Grocer by Progressive Grocer Magazine in 2013, the Sun Devil 100 at Arizona State University in 2017 and 2019, and the ASU President’s Club in 2019. Carol was inducted (with her husband) into the prestigious Natural Products Industry Hall of Legends 2016. She was named one of Arizona’s 50 Most Influential Women in 2015 by AZ Business Magazine and one of Arizona’s Most Admired Leaders in 2019.

[ad_2]