1952 — 2024
By Bob May, CHP, and Scott Schwahn, PhD, CHP
“What we have once enjoyed, and deeply loved, we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.” ‒Helen Keller
Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend Dr. Lorraine Day, age 71, born in Montreal, Canada, died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on 21 April 2024. She never met a person she didn’t take under her wing and left an impression wherever she went. She was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church, an avid advocate of education, and a graduate of Louisianna State University (LSU) with a PhD in toxicology. She pursued her passions tirelessly and was the head of Radiation and Occupational Safety for LSU Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices for 27 years before her retirement.
Lorraine had an extraordinary influence on our profession and demonstrated expertise in many subjects of interest to members of the Health Physics Society (HPS). She was a leader and contributor on a broad range of health physics and scientific fronts. Her capabilities were well recognized, as evidenced by the dozens of invited lectures she gave both in our country and abroad, the (at least) 34 different professional committee and society positions in which she served, and the more than 70 scientific publications that she had written or cowritten.
Lorraine was also a technological trailblazer. Notably, she was a leader in our profession in the radiological safety aspects of nanotechnology. Lorraine simultaneously promoted our profession via her widespread participation on multiple fronts in HPS. She served as director of the Deep South Chapter of HPS, as both president and a director (twice!) of the Accelerator Section, and as dean of the 2014 Professional Development School. She would too often jump in to take up slack for other leaders who were unable to fulfill their responsibilities.
She published articles in Operational Health Physics, gave many professional enrichment programs, judged numerous Accelerator Section student award contests, and made many technical presentations at Accelerator Section sessions and to the rest of HPS. She was a passionate advocate for her colleagues, especially for the younger ones just getting started in the profession.
Lorraine’s collaboration and friendship with the accelerator health physics community was unmatched. Many accelerator safety professionals looked to Lorraine for insight on the management of safety issues associated with the operation and maintenance of accelerator-based research facilities. Lorraine’s technical acumen, dedication to the health physics profession, and personal leadership inspired many.
Lorraine was a Dade Moeller Lecturer at the 2015 HPS Annual Meeting. She was a member of the Accelerator Section, a Deep South Chapter member, and a Fellow of the HPS. Lorraine was as an active member of the Baton Rouge chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Lorraine is survived by her loving husband of 50 years, Donal F. Day of Baton Rouge, Louisianna; her brother Gilles Marceau and sister-in-law Karen Marceau of St. Catharines, Ontario; her daughter Carolyn Day and son-in-law Matthew Cathey of Greenville, South Carolina; her son Benjamin Day and her daughter-in-law Emily Day of Houston, Texas; and her beloved grandchildren Avalyn Day and Brennan Day of Houston, Texas.
A memorial service was held Saturday, 27 April 2024, at Rabenhorst Funeral Home (Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA). Contributions can be made to the AAUW to support higher education for women.