Tom Leo Day

Tom Leo Day, 66 of Ogden, Utah, returned to his heavenly family on August 26, 2012. Tom, the third child of Glade Riley Day and Nadine Stott, was born November 10, 1945, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from Ben Lomond High School in Ogden in 1964. Following an LDS mission to Southern Brazil (1965-1967) Tom went on to earn a B.A. degree in Sociology from Weber College then an M.S. degree in Early Childhood Development from Utah State University. He received his first teaching position in child development from So. Dakota State University in 1972.

In 1968 Tom married MaryAnn Burdett in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. On May 11, 1973, MaryAnn passed away from complications of Lupus after the premature birth of their first child, Jason Riley Day, who later passed away on May 14, 1973.

Tom returned to Weber State College as the director and teacher of the new Child Care Program in the Department of Child & Family Studies. On Dec 28, 1973, he married Judy Linderman. She had one child from a previous marriage. They had four additional children, giving Tom stories and visual aids for the development courses he taught at Weber State. They were later divorced.

Tom married Kay Ralston June 14, 1993. They were sealed in the Ogden LDS Temple Oct 9, 1999. She had four children from a previous marriage. They enjoyed many long hours together in their vast flower gardens. He loved the challenge of trying to get a cutting to grow under a glass jar, and was on the lookout for flowers gone to seed. He was known to have a pocket full of seeds after a walk in another garden. In the fall he and Kay could be found digging and storing the hundreds of bulbs and tubers that would freeze if left in the ground. In the spring they were always willing to share plants when it was thinning time.

Tom's career as a college professor allowed him to impact the lives of thousands of students over the 37 years he taught at Weber State. He often said how much he enjoyed the faculty he worked with and the students he taught. He helped pioneer the WSU Online program with his Human Development course, which he continued to teach even after his retirement in July 2010. Tom was a founding member of the Horizon School in Ogden.

Tom is survived by his wife, Kay, 4 children, Cristie Mickelsen (Patrick) of Ogden, UT; Erin Day of Ogden, UT; Nicholas Day (Cyndi) of Boise, ID; Brian Day of Ogden, UT; 5 step-children; Tiffin Friese of Ogden; Dee Hadley (Dani) of Pleasant View; Paul Hadley (Kim) of North Ogden; Jennifer Malan (Adam) of Syracuse, UT; Jason Hadley of NY, NY; 15 grandchildren: (Hannah, Logan, Christian, Spencer, Gabriel, EmmaLyn, Trever, Taz, Mikelle, Kirby, Kourteney, Celeste, Savanah, Brielle, Abbigail); one great-grandchild: (Tenely); 3 sisters: Sondra Lisle (Clay) of Eagle. ID; Sunny Hemphill (Bill) of Florence, MT; Desiree Hughes (Kevin) of Eagle, ID; and 1 brother; Richard Day (Betty) of Four Corners, WY. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, MaryAnn and son, Jason Riley Day.

A viewing will be held Thurs. August 30 from 6 to 8 PM at Aaron's Mortuary, 496 24th St., Ogden, UT and again Friday, August 31 from 9:30 to 10:30 AM at the Shadow Mtn. LDS Ward Bldg. 1300 Shadow Valley Dr., Ogden UT. Funeral services will be held Friday, August 31, at 11:00 AM at the LDS Shadow Mtn. Ward Bldg.

Interment, Ogden City Cemetery

In lieu of flowers, Tom requests that you make a donation to the Melba S. Lehner Children's School fund, WSU Development Office, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84408