In the final weeks of her life, May Nisbet was surprised and delighted to be visited by countless former pupils of Felixstowe College, who all wanted to show their beloved housemistress ‘Nizzy’ just how much she meant to them – including one former pupil who visited every week for two or three hours.
“She was a little bit like a mum,” explained May’s partner of 31 years, Ann McKay. “She was very fond of them.”
The town of Felixstowe had been May’s home for the last 40 years; it was where she met Ann, where she found a new career, and where she was finally able to throw herself into her art after a lifetime spent putting other people first.
May was born in Glasgow on May 1, 1946. Her given name was Mary, but being a May baby, she was always known by her affectionate nickname.
Right from childhood, May’s artistic flair and talent was apparent. One of her earliest memories was sitting behind her grandmother’s chair, happily whiling away time with her crayons.
At 15, she was offered a scholarship to the prestigious Glasgow School of Art. May regretfully had to turn the place down, as she needed to work to help support her grandparents, who had raised her. Her first job was as a shopgirl in a wallpaper store.
May was sad to miss out on this opportunity – but this did not dampen her creativity. Using mainly watercolours, as they were affordable, any spare time was spent painting.
In the 1980s, May arrived in Felixstowe. By this time, she was a mother to two sons, Andrew and Graham, who were teenagers at the time.
May became housemistress at Felixstowe College, a girl’s school in Maybush Lane.
In those days, the logic was that the new first-years were not allowed to contact their parents for the first month of boarding to help them settle in. This meant that May spent a lot of time comforting the tearful new girls and taking on the role of surrogate mother while they were away from home.
The girls truly appreciated May, Nizzy as she was nicknamed, or their ‘lighthouse-mistress’.
In 1995, the year after the school’s closure, May met Ann. Ann’s mother had died, and a mutual friend had suggested she speak with May, who had qualified as a counsellor as part of her role at the school.
In fact, the pair had very few counselling sessions, for it soon became apparent that there was something between them. Soon, May and Ann were a couple, building a life together in Felixstowe with their dog, Izzy.
May suddenly found herself with more time and money and was able to dedicate herself to her art. Entirely self-taught, May worked in a host of different mediums. Inspired by the colour, natural form and quirks of nature she produced unique pieces of acrylic on canvas, watercolours, collages and wood sculptures
She was particularly committed to using reclaimed materials, including wood, slate, paper and metals, creating what she jokingly called her ‘Rubbish Art’.
May’s faith remained important to her throughout her life. She had a close relationship with her granddaughter, Sarah, and together they attended the Ranelagh Road Church. There, May became actively involved with the youth group, employing her artistic skills to create scenery and props for holiday clubs and other activities.
This included a full-size nativity stable and donkey, which were used by the church for many years.
In her later years, May found another special niche for her work – painting watercolours of people’s pets. May always made art for the sheer joy of it and was often told she ought to charge twice or even triple what she asked for.
“May’s motivation was always to give pleasure to others, and nothing gave her more satisfaction than knowing her work was enjoyed,” said Ann.
“She was a very generous lady, sharing her time, her gifts.”
However, May was pleased to be able to donate £2,000 to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, courtesy of her furry ‘clients’.
In 2022, May was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with the disease later spreading to other parts of her body.
May died on November 25, aged 79. She is survived by Ann, her two sons and her five grandchildren.
Now, Ann is preparing for an auction of May’s art. On June 6, almost 100 of May’s original artworks will be sold to raise funds for St Elizabeth Hospice, in keeping with May’s wishes.
“It was her own special way of saying thank you for the fantastic care which she received from the charity in the final weeks of her life, both at home and in the hospice,” explained Ann.
“This event will not just be a way to remember a popular and skilled artist but a tribute to a charity which does so much to improve life for people living with progressive and life-limited illnesses and raise urgently needed funds.”
The auction will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, June 6 at Ranelagh Road Church, Felixstowe.
