Stella Rebecca Raburn Day

"Stella Rebecca Raburn Day, 73, went to her heavenly home on July 13, 2018, in Baton Rouge, LA.  Rebecca was born on July 10, 1945, in Shreveport, LA to Jack Raburn and Gladys Simpson. She grew up in Coushatta, LA, in a home that was a haven for a large extended family and a host of friends.  From her parents she learned the deep joy of caring for and celebrating with every person who crossed her path.  She inherited as well a fierce intelligence and curiosity about the world.  These gifts set Rebecca on a lifelong path of learning and teaching. After graduating from Coushatta High School in 1963, she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in home economics education from Northwestern State University, and she capped that study with a doctorate from Oklahoma State University.  Her early teaching career took her from Longwood University in Farmville, VA, to Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.  She eventually found a home at Southeastern Louisiana University, in Hammond, LA, where she remained for twenty-eight years.  At Southeastern, she served as head of the Department of Home Economics and as Director of Student Teaching.  In these positions, she worked tirelessly to set high standards and to design curriculum which not only taught skills but developed character.  To this mission she brought passion and integrity, and she seasoned the lessons with lots of laughter.  It was an irresistible combination--colleagues and students alike adored her and strove to emulate her.  Student by student, she made her corner of this world a better place.  Rebecca worked the same magic in her family, knitting a large, far-flung clan of Simpsons into a circle of love. As a teenager, she was an honorary big sister, teaching her cousins how to play card games, dance, ride horses, and paint houses.  In later years, as our elders grew frail, she was the one to drive them to see their doctors and to organize their care.  As they faded, she sat at their deathbeds and sang hymns to guide them home.  She was never happier than when family surrounded her, feasting and swapping stories.  Just before she fell ill last fall, she was excitedly dreaming about a family reunion, because, as she lamented, "We only ever see each other at funerals."  The joy and grace that Rebecca radiated came from a deep faith that she learned from her parents.  The seeds were sown at the First Baptist Church of Coushatta, nurtured during her later study at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and burst into full bloom when she met and married the love of her life, Jeff Day. She became his cheerful helpmate in ministry, a kind of co-pastor as he shepherded congregations in numerous churches, including University Baptist Church of Baton Rouge and the First Presbyterian Church of Ponchatoula.   Once again, Rebecca made her world a better place.  She helped to build God's Kingdom on this earth.  Left to cherish Rebecca's memory are her beloved husband of nearly thirty-one years, the Reverend William Jefferson (Jeff) Day; brother Hodge M. Raburn (Jo); niece Tracey Wright (Scott); nephew Matthew H. Raburn (Somaly Heang); and grandnephew Garrett M. Cleary. Also treasuring Rebecca's memory are her stepson Forrest Day (Valerie Howlett); step-granddaughter Caitlyn Morgan Day; sister-in-law Mary Lane Day; niece Kelly Day; and aunt Wanda Simpson. Among the cousins who hold Rebecca dear are Cathy (Daryl) Dursum; Debby (Jack) Herms; Anne (Bill) Henry; Linda Bamburg; Cindy (John Paul) Jordan; Susan (Joe) Robbins; Frances Simpson; Audrey (Wayne) Durham; Tommy (Kristi) Simpson; and Michael (Suzan) Simpson.  Welcoming Rebecca home were her parents; uncles Thomas Howard Simpson, Jr. and Joe Dan Simpson; aunts Willie Drilling, Louise Bamburg, and Mary Belle Powell; and cousins Ernie Bamburg, David Powell, and Thomas Simpson.  Our family expresses gratitude to Dr. Michael Castine and his colleagues at the Hematology/Oncology Clinic in Baton Rouge for superior medical care. We also thank the nursing staff at the Pennington Cancer Center at Baton Rouge General for its skill and competence. Most importantly, they lavished compassion on Rebecca through many months of treatment. We gratefully acknowledge as well the Old Jefferson Community Care Center for its help in making the transition to Rebecca's final destination, the Butterfly Wing Hospice Program at Baton Rouge General Mid City. To all of these companions who walked the journey with Rebecca, we offer our deepest thanks.  We invite family and friends to join us for a visitation on Monday, July 16, 2018, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA. The services will take place on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at 11:00 am at University Baptist Church, 5775 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA. They will be preceded by visitation from 9:00 am until just before the services begin. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at Springville Cemetery, Coushatta, LA at 11:00 am.  Memorial contributions are gratefully welcomed at the University Baptist Church, 5775 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (www.ubc-br.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.ubc-br.org/">www.ubc-br.org); the Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge, 3112 Convention Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (www.ifedgbr.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.ifedgbr.com/">www.ifedgbr.com); and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, 10600 S. Choctaw Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70815 (www.brfoodbank.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.brfoodbank.org/">www.brfoodbank.org).