Troy 

We went horseback riding in your honor today.  It’s been 2 years and we miss you every day.  

Love 
Dad

It’s been 2 years since your spirit left your earthly body , Troy. Seems like an eternity… I love you so much and look forward  to the day we see each other again.  The world lost such a smart mind. 

Love.
Mom

Troy you had nothing but kindness in your heart. I cherish the memories i have from when we were kids, i’ll always have some tomboy in me thanks to you and Samir. It still randomly hits me that you are gone. I hope you’re resting easy on a big farm with lots of animals <3

Troy, you were the strongest person I knew when I went to Coffman. You weren't afraid to express your genuine, true self, despite all of the bullying, the societal pressures, and expectation to succeed. I'm greatly sorry that it got to a breaking point for you, and I hope that we all can learn to treat each other with respect, despite background, race, creed, gender, etc. going forward.

I can’t believe it has been 19 months since you last gave me a hug. You always said I was blessed to have 4 good  kids. I miss you more than you will ever know. You were a walking historian who loved animals. I will work on your behalf to solve the problems we talked about Troy.. Enjoy  your time with God til I see you again . Happy 24th.

Love ,

Your Mom

Happy Birthday Troy Day ❤️

I miss you every single day. You’re the greatest little brother to me. You always will be. Forever and always. Thank you for being one of my best friends. I can’t wait to see you again. Till then, be good. ❤️

Troy,

I would love to be able to ask you if you wanted to tag along on our next vacation and see if you could go for 6 holes in one in Put Put.  You had 5 the last time we played

I miss you & love you with all my heart

Dad

Troy,

It's been a year since you're passing, and I would give anything to see you walk in the house and pet Toby and talk to us.

I just want to see those big blue eyes and give you a hug and have you hug your mother.

Love Dad

Troy was such a joy to work with in the years I worked at the zoo. This photo was in 2018, when the three of us were awarded the ZooAide Life Achievement award. I had never met someone more passionate about wildlife in all my time working there. I knew he was going to be the next Steve Irwin. Sending all my love ❤️

I have worked in the Guest Relations department at the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay since 2019. I first got to know Troy when he was a lead for the Rides Department during my first Wildlights season. I never got to hang out or really know him outside of work, but every time I saw him at work whether at the Columbus Zoo or Zoombezi Bay. He was always a cool guy to talk to every time I got a chance to walk by and say hi to him. He went into Rides Maintenance and he was so happy for me when I told him I became a lead in my department. He even offered me a ride on the gator he was driving from our season pass gate of Zoombezi to our base camp one morning. This was all of a sudden to hear. He was one of the few guys that I have enjoyed being around and seeing on a daily basis. Walking around the Columbus Zoo or Zoombezi Bay for a shift will not be the same without him. May he rest in peace.

I was honored to have worked with Troy at the Columbus Zoo. He will be missed. I am thinking of your family at this difficult time. 
Sincerely,
Chloe Forrest. 


I didn’t really know Troy very well but he always had a smile on his face and lit up every room. One of the memories that we had was when he was watching me use the red and white brake at Sea Dragon at the Columbus Zoo and lets just say it put a smile on his face. I know he will be missed a lot by everyone. May he rest in peace. 

A beautiful, loving and caring young man. Always seemed to have a smile on his face . His smile and attitude was upbeat and infectious. God blessed him all the days of his life. He went too early and will be missed immensely.
Lovingly,
Jane and Gary Little

Day Family, 
I am thinking of you all and praying for you today. Troy was one of those special, unforgettable students who I will always hold dear to my heart. I can still see him holding our class pets smiling and gently, patiently teaching other students why they shouldn’t fear animals but respect them and learn about them.  I know how close he felt to you all, and what a loving family you are. I will continue to pray for you and keep his memory alive with many class pets as he and so many students would prefer it. 
Katie Guehl  Grade 4 Teacher

Sending prayers to the Day family.  
Deepest condolences,  The Robinette family

Chris, Alan and family, I'm completely shocked and heartbroken at the news of Troy's passing.  I haven't known you long, Chris, but it was obvious to me immediately that you are completely devoted to your children and are exemplary parents.   All four of your children are immensely blessed....and now you have one in heaven.  You brought them up in faith, so I have no doubt Troy is with Jesus.  I've read several of the memories and a common thread is the joy he brought to people.  I pray that you feel his presence often, and that God gives you with the comfort that only He can give, today and until you are joined with Troy again.  Call or text ANY time if you want to cry together, pray, or just want someone near.   Much love & caring, Kathryn.

My deepest sympathy goes out to all of you.  I just learned of your loss.  So sorry to hear this.  Know that I am thinking of you today and lifting all of you up in my prayer.  May God walk with you in this trying time and may you always have precious memories of Troy.
Gay Booher and Family

Alan and family, my thoughts and prayers are with you during this most difficult time. The family photos you’ve shared are beautiful - you can truly see the love captured in those photos. Hold on to those precious memories and know that Troy is with God and your loved ones who’ve passed before, and his spirit is with you always. 
With deepest sympathy,
Heather Johnston and family

So sorry for your loss.   You are all in our thoughts and prayers. 
Heath & Julie Hegemann

Alan and family, please accept my heartfelt condolences on the passing of your son. Prayers for peace and comfort. God bless. 

We are so sorry for your families loss and no words can heal the pain you are going through. I only met Troy a few times at the Hegemann reunion, but like them all,  he was full of love and life. Sending many hugs and prayers to you all.  May God heal your pain and grant you peace. Love Rod & Holly Frericks and family. ❤️🙏🏻❤️

I really don’t know where to begin. Troy was easily one of my best friends all throughout high school and still through a good bit of college. Him, Ethan and I would hang out all the time after those long days at the zoo and it made our days a little bit better. I really could go on and on, I have so many great memories from barely edging him out on Zooaide hours our first year, to going to paintball, to seeing his smile when he showed us the giant red truck he got. We even managed to drag him to a couple Blue Jacket games even though he didn’t exactly LOVE sports. He made me laugh every single time I saw him. We were always joking around. He always went out of his way to involve himself with whatever I was doing that day at the zoo. Again, I could just go on and on. I’m truly stunned. It absolutely breaks my heart. Troy, I love you man. You always told me that and I wish we could’ve had you around longer. I hope you’re in a happy place. The memories we made, I’ll never forget. 

  We just learned of Troy’s passing and are so saddened by the news.  I only saw him as a little boy but he grew into such a handsome young man.  I just read some of the memories and he was truly loved by all!!!  He had such a contagious smile!  We are praying  for God’s comfort and want you to know that we can’t be there but our heart is with your family.  We know the Lord is holding Troy close.   Our love always,  Aunt Linda and George.  

I found this in a groupchat i was in during high school. He loved the dab wearing tan pants. (Video not my own)

I met Troy through Kara. We had a lot of conversations together on Monday nights when Kara would drive us to Younglife. I always loved driving with Kara because I knew that Troy would be in the backseat. I loved listening to Kara and him converse back and forth about their day. He was so quiet and extremely friendly. I remember second semester of that year we had gym class together, I really dreaded gym class but I loved going because I would see Troy. I remember wishing Troy a happy birthday and wishing him good luck on his driving test and he told me that he already took it and passed. I was surprised and said “no way” in full volume I was in shock. Later, Kara told us that he got a truck, I loved hearing all the funny stories Kara had about him. 
If I saw him anywhere at Coffman a burst of joy would come randomly, so joyful i couldn’t even talk. As Kara and I graduated, I lost connection with Troy but Kara would always keep me updated. I worked at the zoo for a hot minute but never crossed paths with him because we were in different departments, but I loved telling my coworkers that knew him and was friends with her sister. I would always hear so many stories about from my coworkers.
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Day, and Kara for allowing me to grow up with sweet Troy. I’m deeply sorry for your loss. I feel like I lost a part of my family as well. I love you so much Troy.

The McHale’s are with the Day’s and are so sorry for this tragedy and the emptiness you feel right now. May God hold Troy close and be with you all at this time.

Troy boy Troy, what can I say other than I am truly heartbroken you are no longer here. I met you when you were 16 and switched to our department so you could drive the shuttle. I remember you always got annoyed when guests would question whether you were old enough to drive them. You also drove a big red truck and I remember always thinking you looked so small in it when I saw you on our way to work, as we drove down the same road. We talked often about our dreams and while your dreams changed over the years, one dream always stayed the same: owning a big piece of land so you could have all these horses and go around your land riding them. In fact, the last time I spoke to you I told you that you were a country boy born in the suburbs, to which you smiled your infectious, classic Troy smile. 
One of my favorite memories with you was when all of us went to see A Star is Born and about halfway through the movie, at a quite point, you turned to the person next to you and said full volume “Is that Lady Gaga?” and the entire theater erupted into laughter. Or when we went to Olive Garden and they stopped serving the five cheese fondue that you always got, you were so distraught that we had to send the server back twice before we could order. I don’t remember what you ended up getting but you didn’t like it as much as the fondue. 
I think the thing I will miss most will be when I saw you I also said “Troy Day!” and you would turn and with a big smile on your face respond “wazzz up!” 
You were an amazing friend and I will miss you dearly. Oves you buddy! 

I only really knew Troy for a few months but it was an amazing few months. Every time something would break down he would be there 90% of the time. I’ll remember Troy as an amazing mechanic and one of the happiest people you will know. Troy always had this unique smile that always brought joy to me. The last conversation I had with him was when I was on my day off and I came into the office and me and him had an amazing conversation. Talking about school and his life style. He said “when I buy my own property it’s going to be somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I’m going to have a huge plot of land where I can own all my animals and go riding all day.” 

Sorry for you lost and I hope the best.

Henry Stiles

Chris,
I am so sorry for your loss.
Janet Vickroy

The Visitation has been extended a half hour. It will now be from 9:00am-10:30am at the funeral home. 

I met Troy and the entire Day family through my son’s friendship with Preston. I would get the chance to see Troy and talk to Chris whenever I picked up or dropped off Preston. The Day family is just one of those families that you love being around. Such a great energy!
   Preston would share stories with me about all the fun things that he and Troy would do together. As Robert would say back then, he would have “a blast” whenever he was at the Day home playing with Preston and Troy.
    I would also get to hear about Troy’s love of animals. Of course,  there was Toby. But also, I believe he started working at the Columbus Zoo at the earliest age that was allowed. Based on what I heard from Preston, and Preston talked about Troy a lot, Troy was always doing something. He sounded amazing. He was some kid! As is Preston, I have to add. Honestly, the whole family is wonderful and a joy to be around.
   As time went on and the boys got older and Preston learned to drive, I unfortunately saw less and less of the Day family. My days as chauffeur sadly ended and with that my contact with Chris and the family but they have never been out of my mind or heart. They are truly a household filled with love.
   In seeing the photos posted here, I am so surprised as to how much Troy has grown because my memories of him are of a much smaller in stature teenager. In fact, my favorite memory is while talking to Chris in the driveway, Troy pulling up and getting out of the car. I think he was sixteen but you wouldn’t have guessed it. Seeing him pull up in their SUV, all I saw was the top of his blond head of hair barely visible from the car’s windows. And then the car door opens and out pops this kid who looks barely legal to drive. But there he was, sixteen and home from a day’s work at the Zoo. Amazing.


Troy was a Team Lead the first year I worked at the Zoo. There was a day that I was at Polar Playground and a big snake came toward the playground, I called Troy to come and get this snake because I am so scared of them When he got there he just started laughing at me because I was almost standing on the stool, I can still see him looking for that snake in the grass, but what stood out to me was the time he took to look for it and stay there until we rotated. For almost a week every time, he saw me he laughed, I will miss seeing him at the Zoo he was so easy to have a good laugh with and he always had a smile.

Alan and Chris, 

We are so sorry to hear of Troy’s passing.  You are in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.

Carolyn and Richard Kennedy 

Troy was one of my favorite team leads when I was an ride operator. I was so shy and quiet yet Troy was able to keep a conversation with me and made me come out of my shell a little. When I became a team lead this year I ran into Troy more and we would always just talk about what was going on in our lives. I will always remember the time  when Troy saw me walk into the zombezi barn and offered to help me  move things to the wagon I had wheeled up from the ride office. We chatted and laughed about all the drama in our departments. He then offered me a ride back to the main office. He was also so thoughtful and made everyone's day. I am so glad I was lucky enough to work with him and I will sincerely miss him. 

Chris and Alan,

We’re so sorry for your loss.

We enjoyed watching Troy and his siblings grow up on Glen Meadow.

All the best.

Betsy and Dan Wisneski

Alan & Family - my deepest condolences for the loss of your precious son Troy. My heart aches for all of you. Wishing you peace. 

Troy always seemed to have such a kind soul that will be sorely missed.  We will always remember his love of animals and his caring demeanor.  I will always be proud to call him my cousin.

One of my favorite memories of Troy is when our family visited the Columbus Zoo and just happened to run into him on a walking pathway.  We chatted awhile and enjoyed seeing him at his workplace.  30 minutes later, Troy located us to talk with our kids and make sure we got some ride passes.  You could really tell his genuine heart and care of others.  You will be missed   - rest in peace buddy.

Alan, Chris, Kara, Preston and Megan, we are deeply sorry to hear of your loss. We miss you all so much and talk regularly about your family. Troy was an amazing kid. He was funny and so kind. I am forever grateful for the time we got to live our life near yours. We are holding space and keeping you all in our prayers. Sending all our love. ❤️ Jonathan and Erin Baker

i worked with Troy for 4 years at the zoo. There was never a time i didn’t see him smiling or laughing! he was a great person with a great heart! he was a hard worker and very passionate about the zoo! i always loved working with him and when he moved to maintenance i still loved seeing him everyday working on a ride or he would just come into the office just to say hi! My heart goes out to The Day family! I’ll miss him immensely! 

I am heartbroken upon hearing about Troy’s passing. My heart goes out to Chris and Alan, Kara, Megan and Preston. I remember Troy as a kindergartner- such a dear,  sweet little boy with a wonderful smile.  Sending hugs and prayers to you all. 


I am so deeply saddened by the loss of Troy. Troy was the most kind, passionate, cheerful young man I had the pleasure of working alongside at the zoo. His presence and bright smile always lit up the room. I will always remember how he loved telling stories, sharing his passion for animals with zoo guests and colleagues, and eagerness to help. I have no doubt he made people's days when they visited the zoo and had the fortune of speaking with him. He sparked positive change through both his spirit and his passion for animals. Sending much love to all his friends and family during this difficult time.

We will miss your smile and kind soul, Troy.🥲
Rest In Peace.  

Sending love and comfort to your family. Troy was an absolute delight to work with at the zoo. I know the education department loved when he would work with us.

A beautiful soul, and he will certainly be missed. 

Holding you and your family in Love and Light during this very difficult time.  

Olive Garden runs after work! This was the crew!

The day we all got to go behind the scenes. This was the crew!

I am so deeply sorry for your loss.  There are no words to express my condolences.  I worked at the zoo and remember Troy bloom from a zoo side to an employee wearing so many hats and touching so many lives.  He was friendly, hard working and always had a smile on his face.  I was so happy when he started driving the tram to the heart of Africa!  Everyone who encountered Troy remembered him and loved him!  He was a great person who made a difference in people’s lives!  He will be sorely missed.

I meet Troy briefly while I was Docent at the Columbus Zoo. He was kind, respectful,  and a joy to talk to. He will be deeply miss. My deepest condolences.  Raquel Thompson and Family. 

We knew Troy was special the day we met him.  It was our first day of ZooAide training at the Zoo. Ginger kept talking about Troy Day this and Troy Day that.  The second we met him, we just knew what she meant.  Our daughter Emily quickly became 'zoo friends' with Troy. They would always share a quick hello, smile and high five every time they passed by each other while at work.  We witnessed his gentle ways at every zoo special event that he attended.  He was always surrounded by a huge group of friends who loved him dearly.  We are so glad to have known Troy over the last 8 years. He will truly be missed by everyone who knew him. 

Troy was a classmate of mine at Coffman and Sells. I will never forget him and his love for animals. He was always so kind and soft spoken. Troy was always a pleasure to have as a classmate and is seriously one of the kindest people I’ve ever met in Dublin. Rest In Peace Troy. I am thinking of his family and sending love at this time.

I have a lot of fond memories of talking to Troy for hours at the polar playground back in 2020. He was also such a happy, energetic person. I worked with him for 4 years at the zoo, and even when he switched to maintenance, I still saw and talked to him a lot. He always had a smile, and was always so welcoming to everyone. I’ll miss him a lot.

Troy was one of my best friends in zoo school. When times were hard he would often pick me up for school even though I was out of the way. We would get canes on the way or after class, and he would teach me how to drive his truck. He was always around with words of encouragement and a smile on his face. We would often talk about our lives on our drives and the animals we wished to have.

I didn't get to tell you dude, but I got that dog I always dreamed of having. Her name is valentine and she is wonderful. You would love her.

Devastated to hear the sad news about Troy’s passing. Troy was a wonderful person to work with at the zoo. Working at the zoo when I was on  break from teaching was always a nice way to pass the summer months and it was even better when working with Troy. He embodied all traits of a fantastic coworker and friend. I’ll miss our conversations at the Polar Playground while sweeping up that rubber mulch. There always seemed to be more time to tell another story after another kid chucked some mulch down a slide, but not a big deal as we talked about what we would do if we hit the lotto: buying Lego, large houses and large tracts of land. Troy, thanks for making each of those shifts feel like a lotto win. 

I remember Troy from when I worked at the zoo in Guest Engagement years ago. He was always smiling and having a great time. He genuinely love every minute of what he did and making people happy and laugh. There was never a time I was in the same room as him and didn't leave without having laughed. The world is missing a great joy. Rest easy, Troy. 

I met Troy my first year in Guest Relations at the zoo.  Our friendship grew over the years and I was proud to call Troy my best friend.  Troy was always able to make light of difficult situations and make us laugh.   Troy was always a guy you could go to if you needed help with something regardless of what time of night or day it was.   My best memories with Troy were just us goofing off on golf carts driving around the zoo.  Troy would always win the races....   I truly don't think I ever beat him.

I love you buddy, rest easy. 

I had the pleasure of working with Troy in the zoo rides dept. for 3 years. He was such a great person who always kept high spirits. I will always remember working together. My condolences to the family I know Troy will be missed by many. 

I had the great privilege of working with Troy for over four seasons at the Columbus Zoo. He always brought positivity wherever he went and often had a smile on his face. Im deeply saddened to know that the world is now without him, but grateful for the role he played in my life. I’m going to miss you, Troy; Rest In Peace.

Chris and Allen I am so sorry for your loss. It’s such a tragedy. I remember Troy when we were waiting at the bus stop for the kids to come home. We would talk about why he had shorts on in the middle of winter. He said “it’s a thing. You get use to it”. I remember seeing him at the zoo and talking to him about his love of working there. He was very special. 

Mary Lou and Bob MacNabb
(Melissa’s parents)

ZooAide Graduation -Long term ZooAides with the Volunteer Directors

ZooAide orientation, Troy let me sit next to him because we had seen plenty of orientations prior, and had lots of laughs.

Troy was one of the greatest people from the zoo that I had the privilege to call my friend. His energy and spontaneity kept me on my toes whenever we hung out. Even after he switched departments, and went off to school, we still remained great friends and hung out whenever we had a chance. One of my favorite memories was on his first day working in Guest Relations, and I jokingly asked someone when we started hiring 9 year olds.  
Whether it was ZooAides, Guest Relations, Zoo School, Rides, or Rides Maintenance, he definitely left his mark on the zoo, and it will never be the same without him

Miss you dude

Will miss you my friend. It was an honor working with you in rides and rides maintenance. I'll will always remember that I called you my little buddy. 

And I will remember the talks we had and operating rides together and talking. 

You will be truly missed my friend 

I worked with Troy at the zoo, he was our department’s baby brother. He was such a good sport and had a great sense of humor. He also had lots of big plans for his life. One of my favorite memories with him is us walking around the zoo and telling each other what we wanted to do when we got older, and sharing some stories from our past as well. He was super easy to talk to about anything, and when you got him going on a topic he was passionate about he sure would  tell every detail, lol. Troy, I’m going to miss your contagious energy, fast talking, root beer obsessed, goofy, loving self so so much. This was a big loss. But I have faith we will see each other again some day. I hope you now got that huge plot of land you were always wanting. I love you Troy!!

Whenever I came over to my friend Preston’s house his brother Troy was always so kind and happy to see me and I felt so welcome with his jokes and positive energy. He was a grade or two above me and I would see him at my middle school and wave hi whenever I saw him. He was a really nice guy and he will be greatly missed. My condolences to the Day family and I am always here for them and I will always remember Troy Day.

I remember Troy as an outgoing, bright young man. We worked together at the Zoo. He was smart, hard working and just fun to be around. He was always smiling. Everyone loved watching him pull up in his big raised truck. It would bring smiles to everyone's faces. He will surely be missed. Thoughts/prayers are with the family and close friends. 

OBITUARY

Troy Franklin Day

May 19, 2000 – October 19, 2022

Schoedinger Dublin

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