Michael F Day (1936 - 2014)

Born 13 Mar 1936 in Montebello, California, United States

Died 28 Sep 2014 at age 78 in Lewiston, Idaho, United States

Biography

Obituary

Michael F. Day, 78, a Lewiston business leader who was active in community affairs, died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston from complications of Parkinson's disease.

Day was president of Material Distributors, a wholesale building materials firm, until his retirement in 1999 and sale of the business. In his 52 years as a Lewiston resident, Day's public service ranged from youth organizations to medical care associations.

He was born March 13, 1936, in Montebello, Calif., to Phillip and Kathleen Day. The family moved to Gooding, Idaho, in 1946, and Michael graduated from Gooding High School in 1954.

Day graduated from the University of Idaho in 1958 with a degree in accounting. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and served as chapter treasurer. While at the University of Idaho, Mike began dating Pi Beta Phi member Joan Wicklund. Michael was an active supporter of the university's Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter his entire life.

Following graduation, Day attended the U.S. Naval Officers School in Newport, R.I., and graduated May 1, 1959. A week later, on May 8, 1959, he married Joan Wicklund of Lewiston. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2009.

In his three years of active duty as a U.S. Navy officer, the Days lived in Athens, Ga., Norfolk, Va., and China Lake, Calif. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in April 1962 with the rank of lieutenant junior grade.

They moved to Lewiston in May 1962, and Day joined Potlatch Corp. as a staff accountant. In 1964, Day joined his father-in-law, Marvin Wicklund, at Material Distributors. Day and two partners purchased Material Distributors in 1978. He sold the business to Familian Northwest Corp. and retired in 1999.

Day's service with St. Joseph Regional Medical Center began in 1991 when he was elected to the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Foundation board, where he served three three-year terms, was president in 1995 and 1996, and in 2001 was named an honorary foundation trustee. In 1993, Mike and Joan Day organized the first Scramble for Health golf tournament sponsored by the foundation. Their leadership was recognized when they were named honorary co-chairpeople of the 2013 tournament. During those 20 years of leadership, the tournament raised $750,000 for hospital equipment purchases.

Day was elected to the St. Joe's board of directors in 1999. He served as board chairman in 2001.

Day was a longtime board member and president of the Lewiston Boys Club when the club was located near Vollmer Bowl. Today, with clubs in Lewiston, Clarkston and Lapwai, the organization is Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lewis-Clark Valley. Day was awarded the national Boys Club medallion, the organization's highest award for volunteer leaders.

He was a board member and president of Twin County United Way.

Day was a longtime Vandal Booster member and University of Idaho football season ticket holder.

He was a member of the Lewiston Fishin' Gang, a group of fly fishing enthusiasts who had their 50th annual trip last July. Day was also a member of Phi Chi, a Lewiston social fraternity.

He was an avid skier and season ticket holder at Brundage Mountain Ski Area near McCall. The Days had a second home at Meadowcreek, near New Meadows.

Day was a longtime member of Lewiston Golf and Country Club. In 50 years of golf, he had three holes-in-one, two at the home Lewiston course and one at Meadowcreek Country Club.

The Days enjoyed extensive international travel. They had two close calls during the travel years. In 2003 in Egypt, when planning to visit the tomb of an ancient pharaoh, their guide refused. Three days later, terrorists gunned down several Japanese tourists at the tomb. In 2008, in India, they left the famous Taj Mahal in Mumbai three days before militants stormed the luxury hotel and killed scores of people.

Day is survived by his wife, Joan, of Lewiston; daughter Michelle (Mark) Green of Grangeville; and son Stephen (Monica) of Bellevue, Wash.; grandchildren Danielle Green of Boise, Cassandra Green of Boise, Rachel Day of Fort Worth, Texas, and Thomas Day of Bellevue; sisters Patricia Moore of Corvallis, Ore., and Kathy Rooney of Gooding, Idaho; and nephews David Moore of Vancouver, Wash., and Scott Moore of Grand Ronde, Ore.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Marvin and Jeanette Wicklund; and brother-in-law and wife John and Sandra Wicklund.

The family suggests memorials to the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Foundation, 415 Sixth Ave., Lewiston, or Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lewis-Clark Valley, 1021 Burrell Ave., Lewiston.

A burial service will be at 10:15 a.m. Oct. 13 at Lewiston's Normal Hill Cemetery. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. at Lewiston's St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home of Lewiston is in charge of arrangements. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.vassar-rawls.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2736543&fh_id=13416

• "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K97K-QXY : accessed 20 Oct 2014), Michael P Day in household of Philip J Day, Tract 399, Glendale, Glendale Judicial Township, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 19-196, sheet 62A, family , NARA digital publication of T627, roll 230.