Roger W. Day, 89, of Galesburg, died at 4:50 p.m. Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at home.
He was born October 2, 1936, in Monmouth, the son of L. Wayne and Sally Mary (Hunt) Day. He married Mary Clark and they had a daughter together, Cindy. He later married Nancy L. Irons on October 1, 1963, in Rock Island. She preceded him in death on January 12, 2008, after more than 44 years of marriage.
He is survived by his children, Lynn (Dwayne) Burton of Galesburg, who cared for him and where he lived for the past three years, Rick (Lori) Day of Quincy, Illinois, John Day of Ocklawaha, Florida, and Ted (Gina) Day of Bloomington, Illinois; 17 grandchildren; 26 great grandchildren; brothers, Rev. Max (Karen) Day of Brainerd, Minnesota and Rev. Lee (Donna) Day of Gastonia, North Carolina; and a sister, Jane (Homer) Foster of Gibson City, Illinois. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and two daughters, Barbara Ann Day and Cindy Ushman.
He graduated from Bardolph High School in 1954. He went on to attend Indiana Central College before settling in Galesburg in 1956. Roger worked as a route salesman and later sales manager for Coca Cola for 13 years. He was an insurance salesman for United American for six years. A majority of his working years were spent as a truck driver. First with Smith Transfer for 12 years, then Waggoner Trucking for 17 years. He retired in 2004. After retirement, Roger drove a school bus for First Student for 10 years.
He was an active member of the Covenant Church, where he served on the Trustee Board, the Diaconate Board, and sang in the choir. He was a past member of the Lincoln Douglas Kiwanis Club and the Galesburg Booster Club. Roger loved fishing and hunting and all sports. He was a St. Louis Cardinals fan for over 80 years. He served in the Army National Guard for 10 years.
Visitation will be 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the Covenant Church. Funeral service will follow at noon at the church with Pastor Stephen Wysong officiating. He will be buried next to Nancy at Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Covenant Church. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral and Cremation Services is honored to serve the family. Online condolences and memories may be share at www.h-p-w.com.
