Lasting Memories

Michael M. May
Dec. 23, 1925-May 17, 2026
San Francisco, California

Dr. Michael M. May, eminent nuclear physicist and nuclear policy specialist, passed away on May 17th, 2026 in San Francisco at the age of 100. Dr. May was born in Marseille, France on December 23rd, 1925. His family immigrated to Walla Walla, WA in 1939 where earned degrees in math and physics from Whitman College in 1944 at the age of 18. He resumed his education following his service in the U.S. Army, receiving his PhD in physics from UC Berkeley in 1952. In the same year, he married Mary Elizabeth Cottrell, with whom he lovingly raised the couple’s four children, Richard, Margaret, Barbara, and John, in Pleasanton. He was recruited to be an early hire at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where he worked for over 30 years, including his tenure as the laboratory’s 5th director from 1965 to 1971. He later served as a member of the U.S. delegation to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) in Geneva. Dr. May went on to work as a professor at Stanford University, where he also served as co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) from 1993 to 2000. His scientific and policy achievements were recognized through many honors, including the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award.

Dr. May was kind, generous, and thoughtful. He enjoyed great food and coffee, reading scientific papers, travel, literature, poetry, zen meditation, and spending time with loved ones. He is predeceased by his beloved wife, Mary, and sister, Bella. He is survived by his brother, François; his four children and their families, and his dear companion Professor Gail Lapidus.