Arts advocate dies at age 68
Rebecca Mays, former chairwoman of the South Carolina Arts Commission and former president of the Charleston Area Arts Council, died Monday. She was 68.
Mays had been battling Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.
A woman of many talents, Mays was director of the Institutional Review Board at the Medical University of South Carolina. She also was active in the Charleston Yacht Club and helped out at Charleston regattas.
She made her name in the Lowcountry for her dedication to the arts, beginning in 1972 when she became a board member of the Charleston Opera Company. She would go on to serve on the boards of several art groups, such as the Robert Ivey Ballet, the Southern Arts Federation and Workshop Theatre.
Ellen Moryl, director of the Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, was one of Mays' closest friends.
"Rebecca Mays was one of the hardest-working women I've known. She worked tirelessly for the arts and people in the arts," Moryl said. "She was a very good friend and wonderful advocate for all the arts in Charleston and certainly in South Carolina, as well. In addition to that, she was bound and determined that everyone, including children, had access to the arts."
Born in Camden, Mays attended Winthrop College, where she received a two-year business certificate. She went on to Palmer College, majoring in medical administration.
A staple in the arts community, she had a few quirks. "Some people don't know this, but she was a wonderful pool player. She took it very seriously. When it was her night to play pool, you didn't interfere," said Robert Ivey, ballet company founder and friend.
Her niece, Margaret Mays, said she was a fighter to the end.
"She was so proud. She never once felt sorry for herself," Mays said. "She put up a brave front, smiling and joking up until the end."
According to the ALS Association, ALS is a disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and leads to muscle weakness and breakdown. There is no cure and its cause is unknown.
It is the same disease that claimed the life of former Post and Courier reporter Arlie Porter and has stricken retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Tom Mikolajcik.
A memorial service for Rebecca Mays will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Grace Episcopal Church in Camden. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the home of Margaret Mays, 40 Stocker Drive in Charleston. The family asks that memorials be made to any chapter of the ALS Association.
