Obituary of Francis William Day

FRANCIS W. DAY 1923 ~ 2014 Captain Francis "Frank" W. Day, CEC. USN (Ret.), 91, died Nov. 25, 2014. He was born May 31, 1923 to Frank and Jean Day in Dietz, WY. The family later moved to Monarch, WY where Frank grew up near the beautiful Big Horn Mountains. He attended high school in Sheridan, WY, graduating with honors. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, Frank enlisted in the Navy, serving aboard the Battleship Tennessee as a "white hat" in the South Pacific. Late in the war, Frank was chosen for the ROTC program at Notre Dame and returned to the states. He later transferred to the University of Colorado, where her met Ruth, his future wife. Frank graduated from Colorado with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and on the same day, was commissioned an Ensign in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps. During his Navy career, Frank extended his education, earning a degree in Civil Engineering from Rensaleer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, a Masters in Management from the Navy Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, and held a double PE (Mechanical and Civil Engineering) for his working career. Frank served his country for 31 years in the United States and many parts of the world: Guam, Alaska, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, East Africa, Turkey and the Mid-East during the cold war and Vietnam. After retiring from the Navy in 1974, Frank took a position with Kellar & Gannon in San Francisco, and then with Lester B. Knight, Chicago, managing engineering projects in the U.S. and internationally. Frank was an avid hunter and fisherman, gardener, frequent traveler with his wife, Ruth, and proud ambassador of 60 years for his beloved State of Wyoming. He enjoyed his tenure as grandfather to his six grandchildren and was always ready to "fire up the grill". Frank is survived by his wife, Ruth; sons, Robin (wife, Carol) and Brian (wife, Irene); and grandchildren, Julie, Brian, Jenna, Andrea, Stefanie, and Lisa. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Laurie Wakenight; his parents; and siblings. Services will be held on Jan. 6, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR. Please sign his guest book at: www.columbian.com/obits. Cascadia Cremation and Burial Services 6303 E. 18th St. Vancouver, WA 98661 360-213-2060