Some sources give her year of birth as 1887.
-----------------
Records indicated May's burial was at the Cook County Cemetery for the Indigent, in Cook Co., IL. Another researcher has found that May actually was buried on 12 August 1948 at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Cook, IL, under the name of May O'Hara. She is with her father, John De Sousa, and brother, Marvin De Sousa, although none of the graves have markers. It is likely that her mother, Bridget Walsh De Sousa, is also buried in the family plot.

At the time of her death, Cook County Cemetery was where indigents in Chicago were buried, however her burial there appears to be a myth that has been passed down over the years. She supposedly died in a Chicago charity ward of malnutrition, which may be the source of the story of her being buried in Cook County Cemetery.
-----------------

May was married twice:
Eaton Arthur Haines, a stockbroker from 1910-1914
Dr. William E. O'Hara (1879—1941), an Australian surgeon from 1919/1920 to his death in 1941.
-----------------

Name Mae O'Hara
Event Type Death
Event Date 08 Aug 1948
Event Place Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
Address 1217 Albion
Gender Female
Age 66
Marital Status Widowed
Race White
Occupation Housewife
Birth Year (Estimated) 1882
Birthplace Chicago, , Illinois
Funeral Home George Klaner
Burial Date 12 Aug 1948
Burial Place Hillside, , Illinois
Cemetery Mt Carmel
Father's Name John De Sousa
Mother's Name Bridget Walsh
Informant's Name Joseph Sujak
Entry Number 23121

Source: "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch.org
-----------------------------
American Singer and Broadway Actress

May Alvos de Sousa was born in Chicago in 1887, the daughter of John de Sousa, a Chicago Police Detective, and his wife Carrie. Little is known of her childhood or how she became involved in theatre, but she began her career in Chicago at the turn of the century singing a ballad composed by Alderman John (Bathhouse) Coughlin entitled "Dear Midnight of Love." The song did not become popular, but the pettite young girl with the beautiful visage and sweet soprano voice did.

May attracted such attention that at end of her first full season in 1901, whilst still only a teenager, she was engaged by Frank L. Perley as one of the principals for his touring company for the musical comedy "The Chaperons". With thirty four speaking and singing roles and a chorus of sixty it was said to be the largest musical organisation so far seen in America. Next she was was engaged as understudy for the great Alice Nielson in San Francisco and in 1902 had the opportunity to accompany her to London but demurred on that occasion due to a fear of the sea crossing. Instead she joined the cast of the of the hugely popular and long-running operatic fantasy "The Storks". In April 1904, May was engaged to replace Bessie Wynne in the role of 'Sir Daily' in "The Wizard of Oz" and in september of that year followed that same actress in "Babes in Toyland". By now she was an established success and much in demand.

She went to London after all, but as a star in her own right, and first appeared on the London Stage as 'Cinderella' at Drury Lane. Other London successes followed, including "Castles In Spain", "The Geisha" and "The Girls of Gottenburg". Although her voice had firmly cast her in light operatic roles, May longed for an opportunity to prove herself as a dramatic actress and was given the opportunity when the famous french actor Monsieur de Max wanted to introduce her to Paris as 'Juliet' to his 'Romeo'. Unfortunately, her French was too weak, and although de Max was prepared to pay her expenses for six months whilst she prepared for the part she was forced to decline. Six months out of her career was a luxury she could not afford so she carried on with her musical comedy roles. Two years later she did in go to Paris where she was rapturously received by the French audiences. Returning home to the USA after that engagement, she was temporarily reported missing by her parents when she was not heard from for over five weeks.

Now she was a major star on both sides of the Atlantic and it seemed she had the World at her feet. Personal tragedy struck on New Years Day, 1910 however, when her mother was discovered dead in a gas filled room. It was not determined whether the tragedy had been a suicide or the result of an unfortunate accident. Returning to England later that year she married Eaton Arthur Haines, a minor English Nobleman, in London. But it proved to be a troubled marriage from the start. Haines, it appears, has misrepresented his wealth to her before their marriage and it was left to her to support him and his spendthrift ways. Worse, she alleged that he frequently beat her, always being careful to restrict his blows to her body so as not to leave marks that might give away his abuse or impair her ability to earn money. After two turbulent years she parted from Haines and divorced him in December 1914 on the grounds of cruelty and financial desertion.

Continuing her career on both sides of the Atlantic, she was in France shortly before the outbreak of the Great War and escaped the German invasion by the margin of only a few weeks. In 1918, whilst touring in Australia she met and married Dr. William O'Hara, a surgeon, and retired from the stage to take up residence with him in Shanghai. They lived there quietly together until O'Hara died in 1941. When the Japanese invasion overran the area where she was living May was interned until the cessation of hostilities, being repatriated to the USA on the 'Gripsholm' in 1945.

Having been away for some twenty years she returned penniless, unknown and without friends. Making her way to her native Chicago she took a room in a cheap hotel and was forced to take a job as a scrubwoman in the public schools to make ends meet. Her years of internment had taken their toll on her health however, and soon she was forced to quit working because she was too weak to continue. Without means to support herself, her condition worsened through malnutrition and she died, penniless and alone, a charity case in the county hospital on 8th August, 1948. It was a tragic end. Once the toast of Europe and America, whose voice had thrilled royalty and the nobility as well as countless masses, she died alone and unloved, unable even to feed herself. Her body lay unclaimed in the morgue and was interred in a paupers grave.

(Reproduced courtesy of Don Gillan (Copyright), www.stagebeauty.net)

Some sources give her year of birth as 1887.
-----------------
Records indicated May's burial was at the Cook County Cemetery for the Indigent, in Cook Co., IL. Another researcher has found that May actually was buried on 12 August 1948 at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Cook, IL, under the name of May O'Hara. She is with her father, John De Sousa, and brother, Marvin De Sousa, although none of the graves have markers. It is likely that her mother, Bridget Walsh De Sousa, is also buried in the family plot.

At the time of her death, Cook County Cemetery was where indigents in Chicago were buried, however her burial there appears to be a myth that has been passed down over the years. She supposedly died in a Chicago charity ward of malnutrition, which may be the source of the story of her being buried in Cook County Cemetery.
-----------------

May was married twice:
Eaton Arthur Haines, a stockbroker from 1910-1914
Dr. William E. O'Hara (1879—1941), an Australian surgeon from 1919/1920 to his death in 1941.
-----------------

Name Mae O'Hara
Event Type Death
Event Date 08 Aug 1948
Event Place Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
Address 1217 Albion
Gender Female
Age 66
Marital Status Widowed
Race White
Occupation Housewife
Birth Year (Estimated) 1882
Birthplace Chicago, , Illinois
Funeral Home George Klaner
Burial Date 12 Aug 1948
Burial Place Hillside, , Illinois
Cemetery Mt Carmel
Father's Name John De Sousa
Mother's Name Bridget Walsh
Informant's Name Joseph Sujak
Entry Number 23121

Source: "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch.org
-----------------------------
American Singer and Broadway Actress

May Alvos de Sousa was born in Chicago in 1887, the daughter of John de Sousa, a Chicago Police Detective, and his wife Carrie. Little is known of her childhood or how she became involved in theatre, but she began her career in Chicago at the turn of the century singing a ballad composed by Alderman John (Bathhouse) Coughlin entitled "Dear Midnight of Love." The song did not become popular, but the pettite young girl with the beautiful visage and sweet soprano voice did.

May attracted such attention that at end of her first full season in 1901, whilst still only a teenager, she was engaged by Frank L. Perley as one of the principals for his touring company for the musical comedy "The Chaperons". With thirty four speaking and singing roles and a chorus of sixty it was said to be the largest musical organisation so far seen in America. Next she was was engaged as understudy for the great Alice Nielson in San Francisco and in 1902 had the opportunity to accompany her to London but demurred on that occasion due to a fear of the sea crossing. Instead she joined the cast of the of the hugely popular and long-running operatic fantasy "The Storks". In April 1904, May was engaged to replace Bessie Wynne in the role of 'Sir Daily' in "The Wizard of Oz" and in september of that year followed that same actress in "Babes in Toyland". By now she was an established success and much in demand.

She went to London after all, but as a star in her own right, and first appeared on the London Stage as 'Cinderella' at Drury Lane. Other London successes followed, including "Castles In Spain", "The Geisha" and "The Girls of Gottenburg". Although her voice had firmly cast her in light operatic roles, May longed for an opportunity to prove herself as a dramatic actress and was given the opportunity when the famous french actor Monsieur de Max wanted to introduce her to Paris as 'Juliet' to his 'Romeo'. Unfortunately, her French was too weak, and although de Max was prepared to pay her expenses for six months whilst she prepared for the part she was forced to decline. Six months out of her career was a luxury she could not afford so she carried on with her musical comedy roles. Two years later she did in go to Paris where she was rapturously received by the French audiences. Returning home to the USA after that engagement, she was temporarily reported missing by her parents when she was not heard from for over five weeks.

Now she was a major star on both sides of the Atlantic and it seemed she had the World at her feet. Personal tragedy struck on New Years Day, 1910 however, when her mother was discovered dead in a gas filled room. It was not determined whether the tragedy had been a suicide or the result of an unfortunate accident. Returning to England later that year she married Eaton Arthur Haines, a minor English Nobleman, in London. But it proved to be a troubled marriage from the start. Haines, it appears, has misrepresented his wealth to her before their marriage and it was left to her to support him and his spendthrift ways. Worse, she alleged that he frequently beat her, always being careful to restrict his blows to her body so as not to leave marks that might give away his abuse or impair her ability to earn money. After two turbulent years she parted from Haines and divorced him in December 1914 on the grounds of cruelty and financial desertion.

Continuing her career on both sides of the Atlantic, she was in France shortly before the outbreak of the Great War and escaped the German invasion by the margin of only a few weeks. In 1918, whilst touring in Australia she met and married Dr. William O'Hara, a surgeon, and retired from the stage to take up residence with him in Shanghai. They lived there quietly together until O'Hara died in 1941. When the Japanese invasion overran the area where she was living May was interned until the cessation of hostilities, being repatriated to the USA on the 'Gripsholm' in 1945.

Having been away for some twenty years she returned penniless, unknown and without friends. Making her way to her native Chicago she took a room in a cheap hotel and was forced to take a job as a scrubwoman in the public schools to make ends meet. Her years of internment had taken their toll on her health however, and soon she was forced to quit working because she was too weak to continue. Without means to support herself, her condition worsened through malnutrition and she died, penniless and alone, a charity case in the county hospital on 8th August, 1948. It was a tragic end. Once the toast of Europe and America, whose voice had thrilled royalty and the nobility as well as countless masses, she died alone and unloved, unable even to feed herself. Her body lay unclaimed in the morgue and was interred in a paupers grave.

(Reproduced courtesy of Don Gillan (Copyright), www.stagebeauty.net)