Remembering
​Denny May

by John Chalmers
​CAHS Membership Seceretary
Denny May, son of famed pilot Wilfrid “Wop” May, died suddenly at home in Edmonton in October 2021, the day before he was to see the premiere of a new film about his father. Blind Ambition: The Wop May Story, a prize-winning 20-minute film about Wop May that was shown at the Edmonton International Film Festival. Denny also appeared in the film, as seen in this photo.​
Shown here in a photo from film producer Open Sky Pictures, is actor Jesse Gervais, who played the part of Wop May in the film. Its production was encouraged by Denny May, who has done much to tell the story of his father’s involvement in aviation.

Denny was 17 when Wop died at the age of 56 while hiking with Denny in Utah in 1952. An authority about his father, Denny produced a web site called The Wop May Chronicles, and has published two books about his father, Wings of a Hero, and More Stories About Wop May, which Denny launched at the 2011 CAHS convention held in Edmonton. A copy of the film about his father will be placed at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton.
A pilot himself, Denny had a long career with Scouts Canada as Executive Director for Northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Generous with his time, he often spoke about his father to student and adult groups, and donated several of Wop’s possessions and artifacts to various museums and archives, including many to Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. Wop May was inducted as an original member of the Hall in 1974.

Denny is seen here at a speaking engagement wearing his vintage flying jacket which he often wore when telling stories about aviation and his father’s adventures. (Chalmers photo)
He was a long-time volunteer at the Alberta Aviation Museum and with his wife, Marg, served as a member of the Hall’s operations committee. 
A famous flight by Denny’s father to Edson, Alberta, helped inspire the town to establish Wop May Days, first held in August 2019 and now an annual event. On the night of August 30,1919, Edmonton police constable William Nixon was shot and killed while on duty. Three days later Wop, then 23 years old, was called to fly city detective James Campbell to Edson in his Curtiss JN-4 in pursuit of the killer, who was believed to have taken a train to Edson.
Wop’s aircraft is shown above in this historic photo after landing on a street in the town, 200 km west of Edmonton. Detective Campbell then joined the manhunt, which was successful in apprehending the suspect. The flight was the first aerial police pursuit in the British Empire.
During Wop May Days in 2019, part of the celebrations included the ribbon cutting for a new historic sign at the hamlet of Robb, 60 km south of Edson, near where the suspect was captured. Denny May and John Campbell, a great-grandson of Detective Campbell, performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the sign, which includes the photo of Wop’s aircraft on the Edson street. Shown with the sign, left to right, are Marg and Denny May, Denny’s son, David, and Marg’s daughter, Joanna Rowan. (Chalmers photo)
“Wop May Days are organized as a joint effort between the Edson and District Historical Society and the Town of Edson,” says Shari McDowell, manager of the town’s Galloway Station Museum, which is operated by the Society. “Starting next year, Wop May Days will be dedicated to the memory of Denny May,” said Shari.
Editor’s note: The eulogy for Denny May was given by John Chalmers at the memorial service for Denny held on October 11. To see that tribute, Click Here...