EARL CARREY BANKS, II

MR. EARL C. BANKS, II, WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 7, 1931, IN TALLAHASSEE, FL. HE WAS THE SECOND OF FIVE CHILDREN BORN TO EARL OSCAR. BANKS AND DELILAH MAE WHEATON BANKS.HE WORE MANY HATS AND WAS KNOWN BY MANY TITLES. HE WAS KNOWN AS MR. BANKS IF YOU WAS CONDUCTING BUSINESS WITH HIM. OR SIMPLY DEACON BANKS TO HIS CHURCH FAMILY. HE WAS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED CARREY, TO HIS CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY. HE WAS SIMPLY "DADDY" AND "GRANDAD".TO HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.  BUT THE TITLE THAT MEANT THE MOST WAS BEING KNOWN AS A DUTIFUL, SERVANT OF GOD!

ON OCTOBER 19, 2022, 5:30 AM, HIS NAME WAS CALLED ...DEACON BANKS WENT FROM LABOR TO REWARD AND ENTERED INTO HIS ETERNAL SLUMBER!

MR. BANKS BEGAN HIS EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM OF LEON COUNTY. HE LEFT SCHOOL EARLY TO START WORKING AND EVENTUALLY WENT INTO THE CONTRACTING FIELD BECOMING A VERY SUCCESSFUL INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. HE WAS THE PROUD OWNER OF BANKS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. MR. BANKS BUILT MANY BUILDINGS IN THE TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY, BUT FOUR OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED BUILDING:ONE OF THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN, FEMALE OWNED FUNERAL HOMES, THE FORMER LASTER'S FUNERAL HOME, IN TALLAHASSEE; THE BANKS APARTMENTS AND THAT HE CO-OWNED WITH HIS WIFE, THE FORMER BANKS APARTMENTS, ON HOLTON STREET IN TALLAHASEE, HIS OWN HOME IN TALLAHASSEE AND LASTLY, HIS MOTHER'S HOME IN LAKELAND, FL.

DEACON BANKS WAS ALSO A DEDICATED MEMBER OF ST. PETER PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH FOR MANY YEARS. HE SERVED FOR OVER 50 YEARS, IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES, SUCH AS CHAIRMAN OF THE DEACON BOARD, CHURCH TREASURER, PRESIDENT OF CHOIR #1, AND SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

ONE THING HE KNEW FOR SURE IS THAT A PERSON CAN HAVE ALL THE WEALTH AND RICHES IN THE WORLD BUT WHAT DO YOU FOR THE LORD IS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS.

AROUND TOWN, MR. BANKS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A RESPECTED MAN. JUST A MENTION OF HIS NAME FOLKS WOULD REMARK ON HIS BUSINESS SAVY. NOW,

GROWING UP IN TALLAHASSEE, HE WOULD BE WHAT SOME SAY, " A LADIES MAN", MR. BANKS, AND ALONG WITH HIS BROTHERS, ALL WERE SHARP DRESSERS, WELL GROOMED, HANDSOME AND THEY ALL APPRECIATED THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE, HE WAS OF NO EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE. AS A YOUNG MAN THE WOMEN WOULD ALWAYS COMMENT ON MR. BANKS NICE WAVY HAIR AND BROWN COMPLEXION. MR. BANKS HAD A THING FOR CARS. HE RESTORED SEVERAL ANTIQUE CARS.1955 AND 1956 CHEVY'S... AND, WHEN IT CAME TO HIS PERSONAL CARS, IT HAD TO BE A LINCOLN MARK V, MERCEDES BENZ, OR ANOTHER LUXURY MODEL.

AT THE AGE OF 17, HE MARRIED HIS SWEATHEART, FLORA LEE.GLENN ON APRIL 18, 1948, UNTIL HER PASSING FEBRUARY 19, 2020. THEY WERE MARRIED FOR OVER 52 YEARS UNTIL HER PASSING IN 1999. THEY HAD TWO SONS, WILBERT AND EARL BANKS, III: AND, A BEAUTIFUL GIFTED DAUGHTER, YVETTE BANKS-SCOTT. 

HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS WIFE, FLORA BANKS; SON, WILBERT BANKS; SIBLINGS, BERDINE BANKS, PHENIA VEASY, JOHN BANKS AND WILLIAM BANKS; HALF-BROTHER, CLARENCE CAMPBELL.

HE LEAVES TO CHERISH HIS MEMORIES, SON, EARL BANKS III; DAUGHTER, YVETTE BANKS-SCOTT (LEON); GRANDCHOLDREN, EARL BANKS IV, LOREAL BANKS, DELILAH ADESANYA (FUNSHO), BRITTANY OGBOE (CHRISTOPHER); AND JERROD MCGEE; GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, LOREN, JAYLA, ACE, ANDHIS ADOPTED CHILDREN, THE GLEN CHILDREN; NINA; AND A HOST OF OTHER FAMILY AND FRIENDS,

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