Autumn Day

1936 - 2022

Autumn Day, 85, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 24, 2022. She was born on September 22, 1936 in Lorain, Ohio.Autumn lived a very full life, always making community and country a priority. As a child, Autumn had fond memories of traveling with her family to visit relatives in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. She loved being a Girl Scout and spending time in the outdoors. Her father’s pet name for her was “Nature Girl”. Autumn cherished and often spoke of childhood memories with her brother, Tim growing up on 2nd Street in Lorain. She graduated from Lorain High School, class of 1954-B.After graduation, Autumn enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, following the footsteps of her Uncle (Col.) Millard T. Shepard. In January of 1955, she reported for boot training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Paris Island, South Carolina. Her first deployment was Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina. While in the Marine Corps, Autumn met her first husband, Cpl. George R.Tufts Jr. Autumn took great pride in being a woman Marine and later, the wife of a Marine. In 1972, she was nationally recognized as the Military Wife of the Year at a ceremony held in Washington DC. The accomplishments contributing to this honor were Autumn’s implementation of a parent community involvement program and her extensive leadership with the Girl Scouts of the USA.Throughout her life, Autumn was known as an incredibly talented, creative, independent and nature loving individual. Her creative spirit led her to paint copious works of art, write volumes of poetry, and a book entitled, The Guaranteed Incomplete Encyclopedia of Wild Plants of the Eastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Autumn’s appreciation for all things in nature started as a child and continued throughout her life. She was devoted to rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned and injured wildlife, as well as working with animals at the Friendship APL. For years, she was an active member of the Friends of the Lorain County MetroParks where she was a volunteer naturalist and was instrumental in promoting the growth of the Maple Sugaring program. While volunteering, she met her second husband, Bob Shaffstall, and was married in an outdoor ceremony held at Mill Hollow. Autumn is survived by her daughters Melodye Lyn Burton and Terri Tufts-Primiano, grandchildren Kirby, Danny, Alexzan, Rachel, Christopher, sister-in-law, Karen Day, nieces, Jill, Khris, first husband, George Tufts (Debbie) and dear friends Rosa Gee and Dan Walther. She is preceded in death by her father, Thomas Elgin Day, mother, Nellie Ellen Day (nee Turner), second husband, Robert A. Shaffstall and brother, Timothy Elgin Day (Karen).Interment ceremony will be held on August 12, 2022 at 9:45 a.m. at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetary in Rittman, Ohio, with full military honors and military escort provided by American Legion Riders Post 211. Memorial contributions may be made to the Lakeview Park Rose Garden or American Legion Post 211.