Bob Banks, or “Just Bob”, was known for filling every room he was in with laughter. He was a special man whose motto he shared with everyone, “never lose your sense of humor.” His family is sure he has the angels in Heaven laughing now, as he went to be with the Lord Monday evening, September 8, 2014, at his home surrounded by his loving family following a brief battle with cancer. He was 81 and of Prospect.
On March 23, 1933, Bob was born in Mendes, Georgia, the younger of two sons of the late Curtis and Ina Jane (Dubberly) Banks. When he was growing up, they moved all over the United States for his mother’s service in the military.. At the age of 16, Bob left school at her insistence to enlist in the US Army to serve his beloved country in the Korean War. He served as a radio repairman for three years, earning four bronze camp stars.
During the service, Bob was introduced by one of his fellow soldiers to a young lady in West Virginia, Wilma Rose. Then, just two months after his honorable discharge, they were married on November 8, 1952. As a family, they moved to Marion in 1955. Together they shared nearly 36 years of marriage, and lovingly raised three children, Mike, Rick and Kathy. Wilma unexpectedly preceded him in death on August 10, 1988.
For over 45 years, Bob worked in several Steel Foundries as a maintenance foundry supervisor, many of those years he spent with Alloy Steel in Marion. For the last eight years of his career, he served as the head of maintenance at Osco Foundry in Jackson, Ohio, until his retirement in 1997. Also, for nearly the past ten years, he has been mowing the ditches and 11 cemeteries within Richland Township.
Getting a second chance at love, Bob was set up to meet a widow who understood his pain, Marjorie Seitter, by each of their daughters. From the day they met, they were always by each other’s side, and they were married on May 25, 1990, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Prospect. They cherished every moment of their 24 years of marriage, and each was blessed by each other’s family’s coming together as one.
A man of faith, Bob was a member of the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Prospect, where he helped with their food pantry. He also felt called to deliver food to a group recovering from drug and alcohol addiction to hopefully help save a life, with his wife Margie. Formerly he was a member of the Faith Lutheran Church in Jackson, Ohio, during his time there. He also was a member of the Adult Farmer’s Association.
A jack of all trades, there was nothing Bob couldn’t do…he could fix anything, he could make anything you wanted from wood, and he did all of it with a smile on his face. A skilled craftsman, he enjoyed making things like toy chests and jewelry boxes to give as gifts to his children and grandchildren.
With a love for the outdoors, Bob didn’t go anywhere without his tackle box and fishing rod. Then as Bob and Margie would be driving, he would stop without warning to cast a line wherever he saw water that peaked his interest. He also was an avid hunter, hunting game as far as Colorado and Montana. He enjoyed hunting for deer, elk, moose, squirrel, pheasant with is late brother-in-law, Joe Tiller, and friend, Gib Smith. He even bowed his first deer when he was 70 years old. In his younger days, Bob enjoyed bowling in countless leagues and golfing.
Always keeping busy, Bob loved to spend time in his yard, caring for his vegetable garden, apple trees and many rose bushes.
When you think about Bob you just can’t help but smile. He was fun loving and ornery, having a great sense of humor. Around him, you always had to be on your toes, because he could get you with his quick wit, a dry line to pull your chain, or even tell you a joke that would make your stomach hurt you were laughing so hard.
The patriarch of the family, Bob took pride in his role as husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, always worrying about and looking after his special family. He especially loved the holidays, when he would be surrounded by he and Margie’s large family.
Left to cherish his memory are his and Margie’s combined families, are his beloved wife, Marjorie Seitter Banks of Prospect; their four children: Michael (Karen) Banks of Canton, Kathy (Jerry) Banks Mullins of Prospect, Linda (Dennis) Seitter Ratliff of Prospect, and Jeff (Linda) Seitter of Dayton; 8 grandchildren: Amy (Bob) Hillard, Kaiti (Shane) Glazier, Amber Beard, Staci (Kyle) Iden, Kyle (Kendra) Ratliff, Kevin (Kelsie) Ratliff, Mark (Lily) Seitter, and Kim Seitter; 11 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Including his first wife and parents, Bob was preceded in death by his son, Rick Banks in 1973; and his brother, William “Bill” Banks.
His family will greet friends from 4 – 7 p.m. on Friday, September 12th, at the Denzer-Farison-Hottinger & Snyder Funeral Home, 360 E. Center St., Marion. Services celebrating his life and his homegoing will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Prospect (address below), with Pastor Sarah Schaaf officiating. His family will again greet friends for an hour prior to his services at the church. Burial with military honors will follow in Chapel Heights Memory Gardens.
On behalf of his family, they would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to Dr. Mark Piacentini and his staff at Prospect Family Medicine, and to everyone at Heartland Hospice for their tender, loving care of Bob.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 200 E. Water St., Prospect, OH 43342, and Heartland Hospice, 685 Delaware Ave., Marion, OH 43302.
Denzer-Farison-Hottinger & Snyder Funeral Home is honored to have been chosen to serve Bob’s family and your condolences may be expressed to them by visiting www.SnyderFuneralHomes.com.
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