Jean Hammond Day

Jean Hammond Day was born to Pierce, Jr. and Elizabeth Mizelle Hammond in Miami, Florida on November 21, 1941. She married David Armon Day on August 19, 1962. They had two daughters: Cheryl Day Platt born July 28, 1965 and Karen Day Ward born on February 7, 1968.

Jean was baptized at Trinity Methodist Church in Miami in 1942 and joined South Miami Methodist Church in 1953. She was active in MYF serving as local president and district vice-president while in high school. She played the piano for Sunday School and MYF while in junior high and senior high school. It was at MYF that she met David. She and David were married 49 years before his death in 2011.

After graduation from Coral Gables High School in 1958, she attended Florida State University receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 1963. She worked as a Registered Nurse for thirty-seven years before retiring in 2000. When she and David arrived at each of his new church appointments, she usually received a phone call before she could even unpack asking, “When can you come to work?” Every town they lived in needed nurses, so she never had to hunt for a job. She held many nursing positions over the years. She worked in neurology at a VA Hospital while David attended seminary. She worked Labor and Delivery in Lake Wales, FL. She taught a Certified Nurse’s Aide course in Apalachicola, FL and served as the District School Nurse for Franklin County, spending one day a week in each school. She became well-known all-around Franklin County, FL. She was no longer “the preacher’s wife” when one night at a revival, a lady sitting behind her pointed to David sitting near the pulpit and asked who he was. She was told by her friend, “He’s the school nurse’s husband.” She worked as a nurse for Meals on Wheels at several congregate feeding sites in Winter Haven and Apopka, FL. Her final nursing position was doing research in Belle Glade, Florida for the Center for Disease Control looking for a bacteria that could be used to make a vaccine to prevent Tuberculosis.

Jean served by David’s side in the churches he served in the North Texas Conference while in seminary and the Florida Conference after his graduation. She often played the piano for Sunday School, Sunday morning and evening services. While raising their two girls, she served as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader. She enjoyed cross stitching and quilting for relaxation.

When they retired, David and Jean moved to the mountains of North Carolina, where they had built their retirement home. She played the piano and directed the choir at the Pensacola United Methodist Church in Pensacola, NC.

In March 2007, David and Jean moved to Westminster Oaks Continuing Care Retirement Center in Tallahassee, FL. Jean served on many resident led committees, played the piano for Chapel services, and was manager of the Acorn Boutique, the thrift shop located at Westminster Oaks. She was selected as Volunteer of the year in 2009 by other residents.

Jean died on February 17, 2024 at the age of 82 years old. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Westminster Oaks at 10:00am on Thursday, February 22nd in the Frances Chapel. A reception following the service will be held in the Oak Lounge. Her ashes will be interred in the Garden of Promise Memorial Garden at First United Methodist Church in Apalachicola, FL in the same niche next to David’s ashes. She is survived by her daughters and their families: Cheryl and Allen Platt and grandchildren, Jordan (husband Phil Johnson), Megan, and Bradley; Karen and Bryce Ward and grandchildren Zach (wife Katie) and Seth (wife Payton); and seven great-grandchildren: Jax and Caden Johnson, Emy and Kace Ward, Chase Crum, Hadley and Hollyn Ward.