Richard -Dick- Raymond Day

Richard "Dick" Raymond Day of Speedway passed away on February 28, 2017 after a brief illness. He was surrounded by his loving family.

Dick was born on November 3, 1937 to Raymond and Murello (Daily) Day. He was preceded in death by his parents and only sister, Sandra Oretta Tinkle. Dick attended Soutport High School and Indiana Central University, and was running back for football teams in both high school and college. He married Mary Alice Schoch and they had two children, Lisa Michelle Townsend of Bloomington and Bryan Douglas Day of Greenwood. He went on to serve in the U. S. Army and was stationed in France during the late 1950s.

Always a religious man, Dick learned during his first few weeks of service in France that he could get a special pass to leave his new base and attend Sunday services. He requested such a pass and left at 9:00 a.m. the following Sunday to go into Paris. Returning to base around 11:00 p.m. that evening, he was asked by his commanding officer where he had been all day. Dick's response was that it had been a very long church service and that he had a little trouble finding his way back to the base. Next Sunday the base commander made sure his staff car was available for Dick's use – along with a staff sergeant assigned to drive him directly to and from the Paris church of his choice.

After serving in the Army, Dick went to work for the Indianapolis Power & Light Company, where he worked on many projects including construction of the Petersburg and Harding Street Generating Stations, the Circle Theater renovation, and numerous others. Upon retirement from IPL, he started providing engineering consulting to Best Equipment & Welding company. Dick considered all the people he worked with at Best his beloved friends and was truly thankful for the opportunity to stay active in the later part of his life. Throughout his career he managed numerous young engineers and was often known to provide this counsel to any new staff joining his department: "I don't always need to know where you are. I just need to know where to tell people you are."

Dick was also an accomplished artist who specialized in watercolors. He participated in many art shows throughout the Midwest and regularly won Best of Show awards for his work. He also used this talent to give back to the community: he regularly donated his pieces to charity and provided art demonstrations in various schools and community organizations. Just a few days before he passed he gave an art lesson to his youngest granddaughter's second grade class. Dick was also an avid photographer. He put his talent to good use, occasionally producing "credentials" that provided him with access to restricted areas at professional and college sporting events.

Dick married Nora in 1998 and was a wonderful grandfather to five grandchildren: Tarlise Townsend, Jennifer Day, David Day, Michelle Goloschokin and Isabelle Goloschokin. He loved his family and was very proud of their achievements, at times boring his friends to tears by retelling and expanding on stories of his family's accomplishments. Wanting nothing but the best for them, he encouraged them to take chances, learn new things and reach beyond their current positions. Dick often shared the story of how proud he was of his son who, at age five, loudly sounded out inside a Dairy Queen a six-letter word written in graffiti – a word often preceded with the word "mother."

Travel was another of Dick's passions. When his kids were growing up he organized a family vacation to a new part of the country each year, thus instilling the love of travel in both of his children. He and Nora traveled throughout the United States and Europe, bringing grandchildren along whenever possible.

Dick wanted everyone to know that he enjoyed his life, loved and was proud of his family and friends, and appreciated everything others did for him. We know that he wishes nothing but the best for those he has left behind and hopes people remember him fondly and with a smile.