Faith Johnson Day
Dan McClelland
Faith Johnson Day passed away August 1, under the care of her family and caregivers at Mercy Center in her hometown of Tupper Lake.
Faith was born August 14, 1930 and was the daughter of William C. (Chet) Johnson and Ellen Ruth Knapp Johnson.
Faith was predeceased by her brothers Stanley and Bill and her sisters Dorothy Ouillette, Mary Ellen Hall and Emily Brown. One brother, Fenton (Wes), resides in Georgia with his family.
Faith’s husband of forty years, Peter P. Day, passed away in 2013. Her previous marriage to the late Anthony Pastizzo ended in 1972.
Faith was employed by Tupper Lake Telephone and New York Telephone in the 1950’s. She also worked as a teacher’s aide and homemaker and raised her four children in Gouverneur, N.Y. and later four step-children in Plattsburgh, N.Y. and Barford St. Michael, England.
She sold Fuller-Brush products door-to-door to assist in home finances. She volunteered for many clubs and charitable organizations in Gouverneur and volunteered at St. James School and as a Youth Religion teacher. When her children were older, Faith furthered her business education and completed bookkeeping and secretarial courses through the University of Maryland extension program at RAF Upper Heyford, England, 1976-1978. Faith’s last decade of employment was as a bookkeeper and secretary with United Way of Clinton County in Plattsburgh.
Faith and Peter adventured greatly as a military family in the USAF and in addition to their years in Plattsburgh together, their family accepted an assignment to RAF Upper Heyford, England.
Faith traveled widely and adored markets. She made and kept many friends for her whole life. She made her home an open safe place for her children and all of their friends. She loved camping and their winter trailer park in Lake Wales, Florida during retirement. Faith loved golfing and bowling and her friends from leagues and her old telephone-operator days.
Of all her pursuits, Faith most loved music and playing piano and singing. She was a choir member and soloist with The Saranac Village at Will Rogers Singers in Saranac Lake 2013-2017. Prior to her years of illness, Faith was an active member of the Saranac Lake United Methodist Church.
Faith is also survived by her daughter Ellen Pastizzo, Peru, N.Y., Linda Pascarelli and her husband Anthony, Wilmington, N.Y. and her sons, Frank Pastizzo and his wife Susan, Elizabethtown and Anthony Pastizzo and his wife Cheryl, Ogdensburg.
Faith is also survived by her step-children Veronica Day, John Day, Yvonne Day Lund, and Nancy Day and numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home, Inc. in Saranac Lake. Graveside services will take place at Lake View Cemetery in Tupper Lake at the convenience of the family. Family and friends wishing to remember Faith may make memorial contributions to the Tri-Lakes Humane Society in care of the funeral home. Family and friends can also share their condolences and memories at fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.