Longtime Kingston resident who helped modernize health cards to be remembered
Philip Quinion Day, a Kingston resident whose career spanned military service and public-sector information technology, has died. He passed away on Aug. 6, 2026. He was 82.
Born in Oxford, England on Feb. 8, 1944, Day emigrated to Canada and eventually settled in Kingston. His early career included service as an Electronics Officer with the Royal Air Force. After moving to Canada he joined the Ontario Ministry of Health, where he worked as a hardware analyst on the mainframe that processed the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
Colleagues and local officials recall that he later led a small team responsible for the province-wide rollout of Ontario’s photo health card system, a project that replaced the long-familiar red-and-white health cards carried by Ontarians for decades. That work placed him at the intersection of public service and information technology during a period of notable change for provincial administration.
Family and community
Day’s family includes three sons: Jonathan (Alyson), Clinton (Kruti) and Andrew (Analía). He was grandfather to Gracie and James, and brother to Joyce and Susan. The obituary also notes a lifelong friendship with a man named Burtram.
He is remembered by family for finding love more than once. He shared over 20 years with his late wife Nancy Nash Day (née Foster) and, in later life, a six-year partnership with Robina (Bobbi) Shaw, who preceded him in death by a little over three months.
“He will be remembered for his technical ingenuity, his love of aviation, and the many contributions he made throughout his life,” the obituary says.
Arrangements and local remembrance
Day was cremated on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. A memorial gathering for family and friends is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Malting Tower at the Tett Centre in Kingston, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Tett Centre, located on Kingston’s waterfront, has become a regular venue for cultural and community events. The memorial there offers an opportunity for local residents who knew Day through his public-service work or his involvement in local aviation and community circles to pay respects.
- Born: Feb. 8, 1944, Oxford, England
- Died: Aug. 6, 2026
- Cremation: Aug. 11, 2026
- Memorial: Aug. 22, 2026 — Malting Tower, Tett Centre, Kingston, 3–6 p.m.
Legacy in Kingston and beyond
While the details of Day’s daily work are technical, its effects were broadly felt: replacing the older health cards with a photo-enabled system touched millions of Ontarians who relied on OHIP. For Kingston residents, his career is a reminder of the roles local public servants have played in modernizing provincial services.
Day’s experience — from the RAF to provincial information systems — underscores a familiar pattern in Kingston and other Ontario communities, where veterans and civil servants have translated service and technical skills into long public-sector careers. Those who knew him remember both his technical aptitude and his passion for aviation, interests that shaped his life in the city.
| Role | Noted detail |
|---|---|
| RAF Electronics Officer | Early service in the United Kingdom |
| Ontario Ministry of Health | Hardware analyst for OHIP mainframe; led photo health card rollout |
Those planning to attend the memorial or wishing to share condolences should refer to the funeral notices published by the family and local funeral arrangements. The memorial on Aug. 22 provides a public chance to acknowledge a life that bridged military service and provincial information technology work, and to mark the contributions of a long-standing Kingston resident.
