…and sadly, it was the coronavirus that caused his unfortunate death. The gaming industry is not safe either.

We could hear Rick May already in the 90s, as he was the voice of Peppy in Star Fox 64 (plus Andross’). One of his lines became an early Internet meme – DO A BARREL ROLL! May later was voicing a character in a game that quickly became a world success. He worked on Valve’s The Orange Box, which included Team Fortress 2, where he was the voice of the Soldier. (Previously, he was also Dr M, the antagonist, in Sucker Punch’ Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, and we could hear him as the narrator or as Genghis Khan in Ensemble Studios’ Ager of Empires II as well.)

Rekindle School reported Rick May’s death. It is a Seattle-based arts program, and he worked as a teacher here. He suffered a stroke in February, and he was in a nursing home after it. However, he caught the COVID-19 here, and despite being moved to Seattle’s Swedish Hospital, his immune system could not defeat the coronavirus.

Larry Albert wrote an obituary on Facebook. He worked together with May, and his post was shared by John Patrick Lowrie as well – he was the voice of the Sniper in Team Fortress 2: „I met him over thirty years ago and while we weren’t the socializing type of pals we always enjoyed running into each other at a gig or audition. Every recording session with him was always laugh-filled. Yet when the lights went down or the engineer said, “rolling” he was the consummate professional. He worked hard to get it right and we could always depend on him to deliver. In talking with his wife Diana I found out that he loved the sessions, the camaraderie, the give and take during the rehearsals and actual recording. Whenever one of his shows aired he would listen, as do I to mine. However, Rick would listen to the ones he’d had no part in and write to say, “Wasn’t so and so great!” or “Man, that was a fantastic script!” I would always send him a copy of the finished product.

Rick May was a force of nature, a pain in the ass sometimes but never to the point where I would not use him again and again. We were working friends, colleagues and buddies. Hopefully, there will be those who will speak of his years in the theatre, as a teacher, a director and voice talent, of his one-man show as Teddy Roosevelt. I knew the man who asked me if I could get him a copy of an old Republic Studios serial cliffhanger “The Phantom Rider” if he got me an autograph from his friend Ty Hardin from the old “Bronco” TV series.

I knew the man who along with Frank Buxton and David Selvig stood and applauded my daughter Andee when I introduced her to the audience at the Kirkland Performance Center for what would be her first appearance as a professional actor. I knew the man who was always encouraging when I had my bout with cancer. I knew the man whose passing leaves a huge hole in my heart and I believe so many others.”

Rick May lived for 79 years. May he rest in peace.

Source: DualShockers