James D. Mays, 85, of Bedford, NH, passed away Sunday, April 24, 2022, at his home, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on May 18, 1936, in Lavalette, WV. Jim was a long time resident of Londonderry and had been a resident of Bedford for the past year.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Carol (Mayhew) Mays of Bedford; daughters Cindy Lee Mays and Terri (Mays) Shawver and her husband Steven; grandchildren Nicole Rutherford and her husband Nicholas, Cassandra Shawver, and Hannah Shawver and her fiancé Brian Greene; great grandchildren Charlie, Aria, Owen, Liam, Maddie and Mary; sisters Betty Dyer, Evelyn Bradshaw, Judy Maynard, and Donna Perry; as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family. James was predeceased by his brothers Irvin, Jack and David Mays.
The great loves of Jim’s life were his wife Carol, his dog Dickens, his country, his family, and good food. He was a proud US Navy veteran (1954-1958) who served aboard the Destroyer USS Keppler and enjoyed talking about his time at sea and ports of call around the world. After leaving the Navy Jim became an accomplished designer, retiring from United Engineers and Constructors in Boston after more than 20 years of service.
Following cremation, memorial calling hours will be held on Friday April 29, 2022 from 5 – 7pm in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Road, Londonderry. Interment will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to an animal rescue league of your choosing.