Buddy A. Day

Buddy Allen Day, beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, departed this world surrounded by the love of his family on 08/18/2024 in Port Orchard, Washington from mesothelioma cancer.

Buddy was born April 18, 1943 to Joel E. Day and Blanche (Martin) Day on the family farm in Appomattox, VA. The Day and Martin families were longtime members of the Memorial Methodist Church in Appomattox. Buddy graduated from Appomattox High School in 1961.

After graduation Buddy joined the U.S. Army, where he served in North Carolina, Alabama, Germany, and Fort Lewis, WA. While stationed briefly at Fort Lewis, before shipping out to Germany in 1964, he met a nursing student named Cathy. Buddy and Cathy instantly fell in love and kept a three-year letter correspondence during his deployment overseas. After his honorable discharge in 1967, Buddy returned to Washington and married his long-distance sweetheart at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Tacoma, WA in July. They lived a beautiful love story of devotion and kindness for 57 years.

They welcomed children, Mellisa (Day) Ingraham in February 1970, Deanna Day in July 1971, and their son Joel F. Day in July 1972. Buddy was a dedicated family man who showed his love with his fun, kind, humorous, and adventurous spirit. He spent weekends sharing his love for nature with his family while camping at Wildberry Lake, fishing, hunting, and hiking almost every trail and mountain peak of the Olympic National Forest. His children and grandchildren will always cherish their time sitting around a campfire, watching his entertaining Independence Day fireworks displays at Wildberry Lake, swimming, dirt biking, and spending time in the forest and mountains with their beloved father.

Buddy’s service to his country continued after his 3 years in the U.S. Army when he immediately began his employment with the U.S. Navy as a civilian at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA. Trained as an electrician by the Army, he proudly worked 31 years as a Nuclear Electrician for the Navy. His nuclear electrical expertise gave him the opportunity to occasionally volunteer for work on the Atlantic coast where he was able to visit his parents in Virginia. From 1967-1998, he helped build and repair countless ships, aircraft carriers, and nuclear submarines while serving the Navy during the height of the cold war. Buddy received many commendations and awards from the Navy for his exemplary performance and was recognized for his creativity and problem solving. Many of his friends at PSNS called him a hayseed engineer for his creative improvisation and inventive tool making skills to help make tough jobs easier to complete. Buddy’s many humorous stories about the time he spent with friends from Shop 51 have brought many smiles and laughter to those lucky to hear the tales. Buddy’s family is very proud of his 34 years of service to the U.S. Military and the part he contributed in assisting the U.S. Navy to complete their mission to protect this country. We are also very thankful for the many loyal friendships he made and the many people who share memories of Buddy during his time at PSNS.

After Buddy’s retirement, woodworking became his creative outlet. He built beautiful furniture in his garage workshop for his Wildberry Lake cabin, picnic tables, rowboats, docks, tree houses, decks, planters, windchimes, birdhouses, mason bee blocks, and holiday decorations. Continuing his hayseed engineering reputation, he often used repurposed wood from old fences and scrapped discarded wood to make beautiful items for family and friends. When the garage door was open, his neighbors frequently would stop by to see his most recent projects. Buddy made friends wherever he was with his bright smile and entertaining conversation.

Buddy Day’s memory will be cherished by his surviving family members, beloved wife, Cathy (Hahn) Day, his daughter and son-in-law, Missy and Lorden Ingraham, his daughter and son-in-law, Deanna Day and Michael Miller, his son, Joel Day, his grandsons, Austin Ingraham, Joel Day Jr., Nathan Ingraham, and his sister-in-law, nieces, and nephews. Buddy was preceded in death by his parents, Joel and Blanche Day, his brother, Earl Day, his father-in-law, Francis Hahn, his mother-in-law, Peggy (Keane) Hahn, his daughter-in-law, Thelma (Benevidez) Day, and his granddaughter, Stephania Day. Buddy’s ancestry was deep rooted in Virginia and he is a direct descendant of American Revolution War soldiers with documented patriot ancestry registered in the Daughters of the American Revolution archive in Washington DC.

Please join the family in celebrating Buddy A. Day’s life at Haven of Rest Chapel in Gig Harbor, Washington on 09/20/2024 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor Buddy’s life with a tree memorial or exploring one of the many beautiful trails in the Olympic National Forest in his honor.