Tommy Lynn Day

Celebrating the Life of
Tommy Lynn Day
November 9, 1929 – December 26, 2023

Tommy Lynn Day passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 26, 2023, at his home in Bevil Oaks, Texas, at the age of 94. He was born on November 9, 1929, at home in Center, Texas, to Jiles Cicero Day and Mildred Clyde Carlisle. He was the youngest of six children. He had five older siblings, Orva Isabell Day, Ruby Charlene (Day) Eddings, Jiles Foy Day, Jack Arland Day and Anna Kathryn (Day) Seal.
When Tommy was 18 months old, his father passed away, and his mother raised him and his siblings, making ends meet as best she could while living next door to her father. All the kids shared a room. Most times, Tommy slept on the front porch. The family moved to Beaumont when Tommy was 10 years old. He helped provide for his family financially from an early age. His first job was selling newspapers and shining shoes in front of the Edson Hotel in Beaumont. He worked at Kresses 5 and 10 store as a stocker. During his time at French High School, he worked at the Terrell Public Library, and as an usher at the Jefferson Movie Theater. True to his ever-prominent “sweet tooth,” he managed to negotiate pay for mowing grass in pies! And, also while in high school, he worked at Retig’s Ice Cream Shop, where he ate most of their profits in ice cream, drawing much good-natured ribbing from his older brothers, while home from the Army and Navy, for gaining so much weight. After high school, he joined the Marines and shipped off to boot camp in California. After completion of boot camp, he received a medical discharge.
In 1948, at the age of 18, Tommy married Carlene Quinn of Port Arthur, Texas. As the story goes, they saved coins in a jar with the intent of getting married when it was full. They finally filled the jar with around $100, which they used to buy her dress, his suit and a cake for after the ceremony (see “sweet tooth” comment above). In the eyes of his in-laws, Carl and Katie Quinn, Tommy could do no wrong. He and his father-in-law spent countless hours fishing for perch, particularly on the Angelina River, where he helped Carl build a camp house north of Jasper. They spent a lot of time hunting frogs, and there were even times when Carlene was at the bow grabbing the frogs. Tommy built their home and they lived in Groves, Texas, when they welcomed their first child, Sondra, in 1961. Their second child, Diana, arrived in 1968.
He began his professional career and worked various jobs before finding his place at Gulf Oil - first, at American National Insurance Company, then at the gas company as a meter reader and repair person for $100/month. In 1952, he began his career at Gulf Oil Company as a pipefitter, making $1.52/hour. He was promoted to maintenance supervisor, then maintenance manager and then turnaround manager. At the time, he was the only manager level employee without a college degree. While learning these various jobs, he was transferred to a number of different locations. In 1970, he and the family moved to South Korea for four years. It was in South Korea that his love for golf grew. They returned stateside in 1975, to Baytown, Texas, where Tommy worked at the Cedar Bayou plant as a maintenance supervisor. In 1976, he was transferred for the last time to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, supposedly for a two- year rotation. He retired from Chevron/Gulf in Baton Rouge after 36 years of service.
Even though he was a Texan at heart, he came to love many of the things that make the state of Louisiana special, including great people, great food, great sports and a great university (maybe everything except crawfish). He was very involved in the church while in Louisiana, serving the people of his church as song leader, deacon and elder and making life-long friends. His love for all things LSU started while in Louisiana and only grew over the years. He was well known for yelling, “Geauuuuuuuuux Tigers!” and having his purple and gold traffic light plugged in and flashing to show his support while the football team competed. In Louisiana, he continued his golfing habit that started in earnest in Korea and tried to emulate his favorite golfer, Arnold Palmer (he was thrilled to follow and watch him play a tournament in person and even get Mr. Palmer’s autograph on his hat). While he had a love/hate relationship with the game, he truly enjoyed the opportunities to spend time on the course with his friends and share a meal together afterwards. It was on a course in Baton Rouge, where he carded his one-and-only hole-in-one. Tommy and Carlene’s love of eating out started in Baton Rouge. They became regulars at several restaurants, where they were known by name and always had a “reserved” table – basically they skipped everyone else on the waiting list and ignored the glares from other hungry patrons.
In September of 2000, Tommy suffered the loss of Carlene after 52 years of marriage. With a desire to return to his Texas roots, Tommy moved to Port Neches in 2003. He began attending Dowlen Road church of Christ in Beaumont, where he was reacquainted with a dear friend, Juanita Brashear. Their friendship grew into a great love and they were married in January of 2004. Tommy and Nita built a beautiful life together that included family, friends, church and travel that resulted in many cherished memories. They celebrated 16 years together until Nita’s passing in 2020.
Besides his love of the Houston Astros (even when they played terrible) and LSU, Tommy was most recognized for his acts of service to others, his beautiful voice, his great smile, his blue eyes and his full head of beautiful, curly hair. Tommy’s love language was acts of service. He was always more concerned about other people and taking care of them, than he was himself. And, in his later years, when he wasn’t physically able to do things like he once did, he chose to serve others by taking them out for a meal. Tommy was also widely known for his singing. When talking about Heaven, he would say that all he wanted to do there was sing around the throne of God.
Tommy is survived by his daughter, Sondra Lynn Day Teer, her husband, Michael, and their son, Jay, and his daughter, Diana Lee Day Parker, her husband, Lance, and their sons, Noah and Griffin. He is also survived by step-daughters and sons, Beverly Drinkard, Mike and Judy Gallier and Bruce and Sondra Brashear, as well as numerous step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchildren, step-great-great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces, other relatives and friends that are loved like family - most notably, Denise Reed, who faithfully loved, served and cared for Tommy and Nita for over 5 years.
The family wishes to thank the many wonderful caretakers, family and friends who loved on Tommy with visits, apple fritters, cookies, cards and singings while in hospice care.n lieu of flowers, the family requests In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Tommy’s memory to The Lipedema Foundation, Texas Children’s Hospital – Cancer and Hematology Center, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and Lymphoma Foundation of America.