Gregory Joe Day

Greg loved sports! He was always playing baseball and basketball. All his friends came to his house to play sports and hang out. When he was in Elementary and Junior High school, he joined the Little League Baseball Club. Mom, Dad, and sister Jody enjoyed sitting in the bleachers to cheer him on. He joined the cub scouts, and his dad was the troop leader for a couple of years. Greg was a very smart student throughout school. Usually getting all “A’s”. His teachers all thought highly of Greg. He learned how to play the drums from his good friend Steve Tee and was always driving his family out of the house playing his snare drum! In High School he got a motorcycle but that did not last too long because he discovered surfing!! Greg and his buddies were constantly in the ocean surfing or waxing/sanding their surfboards at home. In his senior year he bought a 1954 Chevy “Woodie”. He and his friends were then full-fledged “surfers”. Greg’s first job was at an Italian restaurant. Then he got a job at Rohr Industries while he was still taking college classes.

In 1968 he married Debbie Callahan. Soon they had a beautiful baby girl named Yvette Lynn Day. After a few years they decided to divorce amicably. In a few years he remarried but that also ended in divorce. At that time Greg worked at a coffee delivery company but he was just about finished with college and received his bachelor’s degree in art. While in college and after, he was into abstract sculptures and paintings. He was extremely imaginative… using lots of odds and ends to create his work. He was quite proud of his results!! They were very interesting and caught the eyes of a lot of people. During the Bicentennial he made a balloon sculpture, designing it to look like the American Flag. When he let it go up in the sky, it was reported to be a UFO by a Navy jet!! He was so thrilled! Then he met the love of his life in 1984 Dolores (Dee) Valle! They connected immediately while dancing together the first night they met, and their dancing continued for 37 years until Greg’s passing. They were married in Las Vegas and friends and family were there to celebrate the wonderful occasion! We were all so happy because they seemed to be perfect for each other. It was a joyous time! After he got his other degrees from San Diego State, he went to work for the County of San Diego Superior Court as a Project Manager. Greg received high reviews from his superiors and was well liked by his co-workers and judges alike. He loved his job! When the courts downsized, he was laid off. So, he finally retired, and he and Dee traveled to Alaska and other places. They enjoyed these trips immensely.

For the past two years, Greg suffered from cancer issues and knee arthritis preventing him from walking. Dee took really good care of him, seeing to all his needs while still working full time. We were not aware that he also had cancer all through his lungs until the final weeks. Dee stayed with Greg the whole time he was in ICU, and with hospice care watching over him, and taking care of him. The family wishes to sincerely thank Elizabeth Hospice for their outstanding comfort care of Greg and also of Dee during his last days. On May 19th, 2021, at 2:30 am he quietly passed away with Dee at his side.

He is survived by his loving wife, Dee Valle, his adoring sister, Jody Day Scheurenbrand, and his daughter Yvette Maybee and husband Sean, along with 4 nephews, 2 grandchildren and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends.

We will miss you our beloved Greg. Until we join you, you will always be lovingly deep in our hearts!!

There will be a Celebration of Life on Sunday, July 11th at 1:00pm in “The Little Chapel of the Roses” at Glen Abbey Memorial Park. They are located at 3838 Bonita Rd., Bonita, CA., 91902 Phone # 619 498 4600. We are having a reception after the services out on the patio and invite family and friends to join us. Greg wanted a happy celebration, so he would have loved tropical attire. Face masks are optional for those who are fully vaccinated.

Greg’s ashes will be scattered in his beloved Pacific Ocean on his birthday July 13th. Greg loved flowers, so they are quite welcome, as well as donations to Elizabeth Hospice in San Diego or the Cancer Society.