John M. Day

John Milton Day, 86, of Kensington, CT passed away peacefully on January 2, 2022.  John was born in Brooklyn, NY on January 4th, 1935, the only child of John Milton Day Sr. and Dorothy (Bridgham) Day.  He was raised in Rhode Island and spent summers on Cape Cod at his grandparents’ house.   John attended high school at Fishburne Military School in Virginia.  He then attended the University of Maine in Orono, where he earned a BA in Business and Economics and was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.  After college John was stationed in New Jersey while serving in the US Army.  It was during this time that John met his beloved wife Ruth at a USO dance in New York.  They married in 1959 and had four children, moving to their house in Kensington, CT in the early 1960s.  John spent his career in sales of industrial chemicals, first at Allied Chemical Company and then later at Hubbard Hall in Waterbury, CT. 

John had an infectious smile, funny sense of humor, and lived his life with enthusiasm.  He loved to meet people and took a genuine interest in everyone he met.  John raised his children with a sense of adventure and passed on his love of the outdoors to them.   In addition to his treasured family time, John had many hobbies and interests.  He was active in Toastmasters Club and volunteered with his son’s Boy Scout troop, leading camping and backpacking trips.   One of John’s lifelong joys was “living off the land”, including gardening in his backyard, scuba diving for fish on Cape Cod, deer hunting and winemaking. 

John retired from Hubbard Hall at age 59 and thoroughly enjoyed retirement.  He led an investing group at his local library for over 15 years, sharing his interest and knowledge of the stock market with fellow retirees.  John continued to scuba dive until he was 70 and then took up fly fishing.  He never lost his sense of adventure, he tried paddle boarding on the Farmington River at age 79 and continued fly fishing into his 80s.   John loved spending time with his family, gathering for picnics and hikes and teaching his treasured grandchildren how to garden and fish.

John leaves behind his loving family, including his beloved wife of 62 years, Ruth (Nyberg) Day, daughters Lisa Day of Southington, CT, Sally Mahoney and her husband Paul of New Hartford, CT, Brenda Day and her partner Audrey Suseno of Farmington, CT and grandchildren Elsa Mahoney, Erin Mahoney and Shane Hurley.  He was predeceased by his son Peter Day.

Services and burial will be held privately on Cape Cod.  John’s family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at the Hospital of Central Connecticut for their care and compassion to John and his family.