Peter William Day, age 75, of Prosper TX and Emory University, passed away on 04/20/2020, at his home surrounded by family, following a short illness from a very aggressive form of cancer. He was born in 1944 in Oak Ridge, TN to Reuben Alexander "R.A." Day, Jr. and Marjorie Gates Day. Both of his parents worked on the WWII Manhattan Project; R. A. in Chemistry Lab and Marjorie in Animal Lab.
At the close of the War, the family moved to Atlanta, GA where Peter was subsequently joined by 3 siblings: Michael A. Day, Timothy G. Day, and Patricia Day. His father became a Chemistry Professor at Emory University while his mother championed Peter's many ideas and projects to involve his siblings in fun and games, educational explorations, and even original movies. In 1950, his family built a home in the country on Houston Mill Road, 2 miles from Emory, giving them a place for a lifetime of memories.
Peter attended Druid Hills High School for a year until the nearby Briarcliff High School was opened from which he graduated in 1962. In 1966, he graduated from Emory with a B.S. degree in mathematics and went on to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA. After a short hiatus as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, he returned to his alma mater where he spent over four decades in the IT world.
Peter held many positions at Emory, including Manager of Operating System Support for the Computing Center. During his professional career, he worked on the university's first mainframe, wrote a number of interesting programs, was the driving force behind the installation of the Computing Center's first Ethernet, and wrote grant requests that obtained funding to connect Emory to NSFnet (the precursor of the commercial internet) and lnternet2. In 2008, Peter joined the Identity Management team and in 2015, he won a LITS Significant Contribution Award for working on a replacement (MyNetlD) for the Identity Management tool. Other specific contributions include serving as the Identity Management Knowledge Champion and building numerous self-service applications to support the ldM function. After 43 years of service, Peter retired in 2016.
During those many years working at Emory University he was also busy raising a family of his own. In 1975, he moved his family to the house on Houston Mill Road, his parents built a smaller house next door in the woods, and the Day clan continued the legacy of family activities and projects. He continued to make scripted movies with family members as actors. Many impromptu movies came from family events and celebrations, as well as from activities with his two children. He was continually teaching them about science, technology, and computing. Fostering home computing inspired and led his son William into his own career in computer science and engineering. Peter was also supportive of his wife in her efforts with elementary school technology and teaching.
Peter, usually behind the camera, took center stage in performances of slight-of-hand magic tricks. He enjoyed passing down his legacy in magic to his granddaughter Marjorie.
Peter and Susan met when they were both students at Emory University. Neither being of an athletic nature, they were in a P.E. class for Camping. After a three-year courtship, they married and continued years of camping vacations with their family all over the southeast.
His favorite pastimes included stamp collecting and working math problems in his spare time. Through the years, he enjoyed science fiction TV shows, especially Star Trek, and comedies such as Big Bang Theory. All things Harry Potter were a part of his life- books, movies, visit to Universal Studios, and all-out parties in his home. All of which adds to the legacy he leaves his family.
Post-retirement, Peter's job was to serve as the patriarch of the Texas branch of the Day Family. His activities included doing mathematical research, taking care of his wife, going on daily walks, spending time with his children and granddaughter, and playing musical instruments. He was the support and business manager of "Susan's Sew 'n' Such", a sewing and alterations venture that fulfills his wife's creativity.
He is predeceased by his parents, R.A. and Marjorie Day; and niece, Marina Day.
He is survived by his wife of almost 53 years, Susan Lovell Day, of Prosper, TX; son, William A. Day of Prosper, TX; daughter, Jennifer E. Chapell (Charles) of Aubrey, TX; granddaughter, Marjorie Anne Chapell of Aubrey TX; brothers, Michael A. Day (Sharon) of Pine Lake, GA and Timothy G. Day (Melinda) of Marietta, GA; sister, Patty Day (Eddie Mach) of Lawrenceville, GA; nieces, Mackenzie Landers (George) of Smyrna, GA and Abby Day (Daniel Melcher) of Los Angeles CA; cousin, David Gates (Peggy) of San Antonio TX; other cousins in his father's family; numerous colleagues in ITD at Emory; and many neighbors and friends in Windsong Ranch, Prosper TX.
Peter's life was filled with kindness, gentleness, great intelligence, teaching, and helping others to learn. His was a life of integrity in all things.
His motto was "Everything in moderation - even moderation".
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be arranged for a future date. Memorial funds are being established to honor Peter's love of math, computers, science, and education.
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