Maj-Britt (May) Dereix of Williamsburg, VA, formerly of West Chester, PA, passed away on August 13, 2026. She was 96.
May was born in Småland, Sweden on July 27, 1930, to Hulda and Oskar. The oldest of six children, her ability to nurture was well developed at home in Sweden as she helped her mother with traditional homemaking and care for her younger brothers and sisters before spreading her wings after school and moving to London. In London, she worked various jobs including at a hospital and as a nanny. After returning to Sweden for a short while, she and a friend boarded an ocean liner in 1954, bound for the excitement of America. May settled in Pennsylvania in the Glaydwyne area of Philadelphia’s Main Line, and worked as a nanny where she established lifelong friendships with the families and children.
In Philadelphia, she met her future husband, Jerry, who would be her life partner for 60 years. They married in 1958, and moved to West Chester, PA where they raised four children. May enjoyed staying home with her children, gardening, baking her Swedish treats, and always honoring her Swedish heritage and holidays.
May’s travels continued throughout her lifetime as she traveled by train to Colorado, and also visited New England, New York, Nevada, Texas, Alaska, California, Maine, England, Germany, the Bahamas, Cuba, Colombia, and of course, her beloved Sweden. Flying home from Europe on September 11, 2001, she was one of the many passengers to be grounded in Newfoundland, Canada, as flights were redirected.
In-between travels, May always enjoyed nurturing young children and continued to provide childcare for many families, many of which she kept in touch with after she retired. In retirement, she and Jerry relocated to Williamsburg, Virginia, to be closer to the next set of youngsters–four of her young grandchildren–where she lived out her golden years making new friends.
May is preceded in death by her husband, Jerry, her two brothers, Stig and Gösta, and her parents. She is survived by her four children, Eva Dereix (Don Herron), Sue Dereix, John Dereix (Angela), Elizabeth Robbins (Will); and 5 grandchildren — Jennifer Herron, Ryan Dereix, Erik Dereix, Delaney Robbins, and Connor Robbins and her three sisters, Gunnel, Ethel and Anita; plus many nieces and nephews.
Arrangements are being handled by Nelsen’s Funeral Home. A visitation will be held at Wellspring United Methodist Church, in Williamsburg, on August 18th at 10:00 AM, followed by a celebration of life service at 11:00 AM. A private internment will take place at Williamsburg Memorial Garden.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heartland Hospice through the Gentiva Foundation, Wellspring United Methodist Church, or the Alzheimer’s Association.
