Leland Simpson Day Jr.

LELAND SIMPSON DAY JR. 87, of Bellaire, Texas died Wednesday, June 7th. His only Son, Mark Leland Day was there by his side until the very end, when he crossed over for a new beginning to be with our Almighty God and Jesus in Heaven. Born in San Antonio, Texas, on November 20th, 1929, he was the son of Leland Simpson Day Sr. and Nellie Grace Gibson. His younger brother, James Gibson Day was born January 31, 1931 and unfortunately as Co-pilot on a routine flight out of Detroit, was killed when his United Airlines Cargo DC-8 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 3 crew on board on January 12, 1983. Leland was a Civil Engineer who worked on many interesting and important projects throughout his lifetime, including the post-World War 2 civil survey for the American Alaskan Highway in the mid 1950's, as well as engineering in the early 1960's on the first ever swing wing jet bomber, the General Dynamics F-111. His brother Jimmy just so happened to be one of the many test pilots of the F-111 in the USAF. He was a member of many professional organizations including, Boy Scouts of America, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the BSA Order of the Arrow, and later in life became a devoted Scout Master for the Bellaire Scout Troop 606 for over 20 years. Leland was also a member of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, the National and Houston Audubon Societies, The Little Thicket Nature Sanctuary, The Native Plant Society of Texas, Ornithology Group of the Outdoor Nature Club of Houston, Bellaire Garden Club, Bellaire Beautification Committee, and the Bellaire Chamber of Commerce for a short period of time in his life. His late Wife, Minamarie S. Day participated by his side in all of these organizations except the Boy Scouts of America. He was a graduate and Alumni of Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he earned and received his Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts and Masters Degrees in Civil Engineering in 1952. Survivors include his Daughter, Sylvia S. Wisialowski of Spring, Texas, his Son, Mark Leland Day of Bellaire, Grandson Wyatt Robbins, and his beloved Granddaughter, Marlee Brooke Day of Katy, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm on June 24th, 2017 at the Garden Oaks Funeral Home in Houston, Texas. Interment will be at the Memorial Oaks Cemetery under the direction of Dignity Memorial and Charles E. Ruehl, Minister of St. Pauls United Methodist Church. He will be laid to rest in peace with his Wife there in the cemetery at last, again together. "In the Lord's eyes, we can love completely, without complete understanding, in which the PRESENT, right now is truly a GIFT."