Nearly 300, including Sandra Day O'Connor, gather in Ann Day's memory

Nearly 300 people gathered at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park Saturday morning to remember former state Sen. and Pima County Supervisor Ann Day.

The two dozen rows of chairs filled up quickly, with additional gatherers standing to the sides and back, braving the late-morning sun to pay their respects to Day, 77, who was killed May 7 in a car crash.

A few minutes after Day’s sister and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner arrived quietly with her small security detail, the Pima County Sheriff Department’s Honor Guard marched down the center aisle, marking the memorial’s start.

Day’s son, Curtis Simpson, started the ceremony with a prayer, before his daughter took to the microphone.

“My grandmother and I called each other soulmates,” said Caitlin Watters, after she welcomed the large crowd.

Watters spoke fondly of Day — or “A.D.” as she asked her grandchildren to call her — telling the crowd she would give them an insider peek at what Day was like as a grandmother.

“She didn’t just support us, she pushed us to be better,” Watters said. “She was brave, and took chances in life.”

Watters drew laughter from attendees when she talked about the time Day marched up to Willie Nelson at the Capitol building and said, “I only like two types of music: country and Western.”

“Anyone that met her knew she was a very honest lady,” Watters said. “It’s very rare to find true, pure honesty.”

Day’s son-in-law, Pima County Justice of the Peace Adam Watters, stepped up to speak next, saying that Day “was no shrinking violet,” but adding that they never had a cross word with one another.

“When we went to her house after we got the call last Saturday, there were Mother’s Day cards unopened,” Watters said. “Her youngest granddaughter’s graduation invitation was on the table. She’s going to miss those things.”

When he brought up the crash in which Day was killed, Watters said he has faith in the legal system.

He took the opportunity to speak briefly about impaired driving, saying that of the 18,000 DUI charges filed every year in Arizona, 9,000 of them are in Pima County. “I think that’s because we have solid, aggressive policing and we have a culture here that’s not tolerant of DUIs,” Watters said.

The driver who crashed head-on into Day’s car May 7, after he drove over a median on East Ina Road, faces manslaughter and driving under the influence charges.

“Public service was Ann’s life. Something we can do to honor her memory is to make people more aware of what happens when you drive impaired,” Watters said.

County Supervisor Ray Carroll said that in 20 years of politics, he’s never worked with a finer person than Ann Day.

“She was elegant and circumspect, yet relentless and up-front about issues that concerned her and the public,” he said. “As most ranchers know, there’s one cowboy on every ranch who knows how to do everything. For me, that was a cowgirl and her name was Ann Day,” referring to the spirit she gained from growing up on Southern Arizona’s Lazy B Ranch.

Before opening the microphone to the public, Day’s granddaughter, Cassandra Watters, strummed gently at her guitar, making a small change to a classic song’s lyrics as she sang, “My heroes have always been cowgirls.”

Representatives from U.S. Rep. Martha McSally and Gov. Doug Ducey’s offices were on hand to deliver messages. Ducey’s spokesman, Juan Ciscomani, presented Day’s children with an Arizona state flag that had flown over the Capitol.

Current and former Pima County supervisors paid their respects, fondly remembering the time they spent with Day.

“She loved to play bridge, but she could also build bridges,” said Supervisor Sharon Bronson.

Bronson told attendees that the Parks and Recreation Committee has decided to rename Northwest Community Park after Day, pending a final vote by the board.

“She was part of my family. I think she was part of everyone’s family,” said Supervisor Ramón Valadez, talking about his time working with Day in the state Legislature and later on the Board of Supervisors.

Supervisor Richard Elías smiled and laughed as he called her a ranchera and a vaquera.

“She voted on the Legislature with conscience and heart,” said former state Sen. Victor Soltero, who served there with Day. “She always told me, you’re not a real cowboy until you have something on your boots.”