Long-time Gardendale business celebrates 90 years

Earlier this week, a patient of Dr. Sharon Day told the doctor that she had treated the patient’s mother the day before.

That is nothing unusual at Day Eye Care.

“It’s very common that we’ll see members of several generations of families,” Day said. “That’s one of the things I love most about doing this.”

Day Eye Care, at 137 W. Shugart Ridge Rd. in Gardendale, is celebrating its ninetieth anniversary this year. The business is thanking patients on Thursday, 2-6 p.m., with Patient Appreciation Day.

“We’ve been blessed. The community and our patients have blessed us,” said Dr. Howard Day. “We very much appreciate that. They are the reason we’ve been able to do this for 90 years.”

Howard Day knew since age 16 that he would be an optometrist.

“I’ve done every job in the office,” he said. “I started out cutting the grass.”

By age 15, he was helping manufacture glasses.

“I just kind of grew up doing this,” he said. “It’s one of the few things you can do where you can immediately help someone.”

Howard Day said he enjoys watching customers put on a pair of glasses or contact lenses and say, “I can see the leaves on the trees,” or, “I can read my Bible now.”

Read the entire article in Saturday’s edition of the North Jefferson News or visit the NJN online again next week.