Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Tony May

With profound sadness, the Triad family mourns the passing of one of our own. Tony May, colleague, mentor and friend, died yesterday at the age of 77.

Tony could legitimately lay claim to multiple successful careers – news reporter and editor, spokesperson, political strategist, consultant and pundit, to name a few. Yesterday, PennLive’s Joyce Davis did a nice job of detailing Tony’s career, which you can read about here.

Today, we’d like to tell you what he meant to us.

Tony was unfailingly honest, with himself and others. It earned him immense respect, even when the truth was not kind. He didn’t invent the idea of always doing The Right Thing, but he adhered to that principle.

He was generous with his time and attention, always willing to coach up younger colleagues. His legacy is a legion of mentees.

He had a keen eye for win-win solutions. He once explained that he didn’t ask for favors, but rather presented opportunities. Today, that is one of Triad’s core values.

He was a lifetime learner, keeping up not only with news and current events, but with the evolution of the channels that distribute it. Tony stayed relevant as the art and science of communication was transformed by technology.

He was never one to hog the limelight or the credit. With an insatiable desire to educate, instruct and provide context, he made hundreds of television appearances despite his preference for being more of a listener than a talker.

He made time for and wrote checks to a variety of nonprofit organizations, promoting public broadcasting, economic education and social services. There was no friend more reliable, supportive and willing to lend a hand.

Whoever or whatever he touched is better for the experience. That includes members of the Triad family. We will miss his counsel and coaching, but we’ll honor his memory by always striving to do The Right Thing.