🕊 In Loving Memory of Elaine O'Day

Updated: Jul 25

August 25, 1951 – February 6, 2025

With deep gratitude and heartfelt sorrow, we remember the life and legacy of Elaine, a devoted board member, friend, and advocate for both animals and the community.

Elaine’s journey began in Georgetown, Delaware, where she graduated from Georgetown High School in 1969. She began her career with Diamond State Telephone in 1967 as a part-time operator — a step that would launch a trailblazing path in the telecommunications industry. After attending the University of Delaware, she transferred to Pacific Bell in San Diego, where she boldly broke barriers for women in the 1970s by becoming one of the first female frame men and switch men in a field that had long been male-dominated. Her determination and leadership led her into management roles, taking her to Anaheim, New Jersey, and eventually Nashville, where she retired from AT&T.

Even in retirement, Elaine’s spirit of service never wavered. She started a catering business, Movable Feast, and filled her days with volunteer work, giving back to the people and animals she so deeply cared for. Whether through the Telephone Pioneers, delivering home-cooked meals to veterans, or her work with the Humane Society of Sumner County, Elaine showed up with compassion, generosity, and a heart for service.

Elaine’s dedication to the mission of the Humane Society was a reflection of her lifelong belief that all lives — especially the most vulnerable — deserve love, dignity, and care. She was a true friend to animals and humans alike, always ready to lend a hand or prepare a warm meal. Her legacy of kindness continues in every rescued pet, every comforted veteran, and every act of service she inspired.

She is lovingly survived by her son, Shaun, who now resides in California.

Elaine’s warmth, strength, and quiet generosity will be deeply missed but never forgotten. Her spirit lives on in the lives she touched and in the wagging tails and grateful hearts of the animals she helped save.