Gary Donovan Day, 53, passed away Dec. 22, 2007.

A funeral service was held Sunday, Dec. 30, at Driskill Memorial Chapel. Interment was at Canyon City Cemetery.

Mr. Day was born March 29, 1954, in John Day to Bob and Marlis (Muzzy) Smith. He and his brother Chet were adopted April 27, 1958 by Elmer Day. Mr. Day graduated from Grant Union High School in 1972.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy March 24, 1972. He was stationed in Portland on the USS Wallace L. Lind, a destroyer. In October 1973, he cross-decked over to the USS Rogers, another destroyer. In 1974, he was sent to Operations Specialist “A” school at Services Command, Great Lakes, Ill. In 1975, he was promoted to Third Class Petty Officer; in May 1977, he re-enlisted and was promoted to Second Class Petty Officer. In 1979, he was assigned to the USS Benjamin Stoddert in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. From 1982 – 1986 he was transferred to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium- a NATO command. In 1986, he was assigned to the USS Sides, a missile frigate. He was promoted to Sr. Chief Petty Officer. In 1988, he transferred to the USS Paul F. Foster until 1990, at which time he recruited for the Navy in Salt Lake City, Utah. He retired from the Navy in 1994 after 22 years.

From then until 2005, Mr. Day worked for Sears/Citigroup in Boise, Idaho. Then he held miscellaneous jobs until 2007, when he began working for the Malheur National Forest as an information specialist assistant.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Marlis. and his grandfather, Vernon Crowell.

He is survived by his grandmother Sylvia Crowell; brother Chester Day and his wife Jeanne of John Day; brother Andy Day and his wife Maxine of John Day; sister Susan Palma and her husband Juan of Las Vegas, Nev.; nephews Brian Day, Jonathan Palma, Joseph Palma, Jacob Palma, Dakota Sheppard and Darien Lippert; nieces Angie Moore, Tina Lippert, Samantha Phillips, and Shanley Day; and several great-nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to Grant County Snowballers through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd, John Day, OR 97845.