Ada Darnell Day of Jamaica Plain, passed away on May 9, 2026. She was 87 years old.

Ada was born on January 1, 1939, in Memphis, Tennessee. She was educated at the Noroton Sacred Heart School in Connecticut and went on to study at the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston before returning to Memphis, where she began her career at the First National Bank of Tennessee.

Life brought Ada north to Short Hills, New Jersey, following her marriage to Charles Pope Day Jr., and it was there that she found her greatest calling — motherhood. The arrival of her daughter, Margaret Genevieve Mary Day, was, by Ada’s own measure, her first real joy, and that joy only deepened with time.

Following her divorce, Ada made a home at Nordstrom in the Short Hills Mall for over 25 years, where she became something of a legend in customer service. Colleagues and customers alike knew her for her warmth, her unshakeable positivity, and the kind of genuine care that cannot be taught. Always willing to go above and beyond, she earned the Customer Service All Star award twice — a recognition that came as no surprise to anyone who knew her. Ada had a gift for making people feel seen and valued, and she gave it freely to everyone she met.

Her faith was central to her life. A lifelong Catholic, Ada served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Vincent’s Parish in Madison, New Jersey, carrying the same devotion to her church community that she brought to everything she touched. She also found great happiness volunteering at Greenwood Gardens, where she delighted in sharing the history of the Day family and connecting people to its rich past.

Ada loved to bake for the people she loved — her carrot cake and amaretto cake brought joy to so many.

But if you asked Ada what mattered most, the answer was never in doubt. It was her family. She adored her daughter Margaret, her son-in-law Dominick Neri, and her grandsons Benjamin and Theodore Neri with a love that was unconditional and unwavering. She was the person who showed up — no matter the circumstance, no matter the hour — ready to help and never there to judge. Those she loved always knew they were loved. She made sure of it.

Ada had a way of building community wherever she went — with a smile, a kind word,and a warm Southern-accented greeting that put anyone immediately at ease. She embodied empathy, generosity, and loyalty not as ideals to aspire to, but as a way of life she lived every single day. She was blessed with many close and cherished friendships throughout her life, and is mourned by those still with us and reunited now with those who are not.

She was preceded in death by her parents, T. Herbert Darnell and Genevieve Maher Darnell, and her beloved brothers, Thomas Darnell and Father Larry Darnell.

She is survived by her daughter, Margaret Genevieve Mary Day; her son-in-law, Dominick Neri; and her grandsons, Benjamin Neri and Theodore Neri.

Ada Darnell Day will be deeply missed by the many lives she touched. May she rest in the peace and love she so generously gave to others.

Ada's Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026 at 10 a.m. in the Chapel at St. Theresa of Avila Church 2708 Centre St West Roxbury. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.

Contributions in Ada's memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association 320 Nevada St. #201 Newton, MA 02460 https://donorservices.alz.org