WILLIAM A BANKS

WILLIAM ALONZO BANKS, SR.

MR. WILLIAM A. BANKS WAS BORN ON APRIL 14, 1936, IN TALLAHASSEE, FL. HE WAS BORN TO THE PARENTS OF EARL OSCAR BANKS AND DELILAH MAE WHEATON BANKS. HE WAS THE YOUNGEST CHILD OF FIVE CHILDREN (BURDINE, EARL C. JR., PHENIA AND JOHN). AFTER HIS PARENTS DIVORCE, HE ALONG WITH HIS SIBLINGS, WERE RAISED PRIMARILY BY HIS GRANDMOTHER.  HE WAS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED “TICKEY” BY HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS AND CLASSMATES.

HIS PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION WAS WITHIN THE LEON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM. HE GRADUATED FROM LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL IN 1954. AFTER GRADUATION, HE ATTENDED THE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND CHRISTIAN MINISTRY IN ANDERSON, INDIANA. HE LATER JOINED THE AIR FORCE AND SERVED HIS COUNTRY PROUDLY FOR SIX YEARS, AS A COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST. HE OFTEN REFLECTED ON THE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HE WAS ABLE TO VISIT DURING HIS MILTARY CAREER, SUCH AS ASCENSION ISLAND, ISLAND OF RECIFE AND GUAM. AFTER HIS MILITARY CAREER, HE BEGAN WORKING IN COMMUNICATIONS FOR RCA (RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA).  AS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST HE WAS AFFORDED THE OPPURTUNITY TO BE A PART OF COLLABORATIVE TEAM WITH NASA AND RCA ON THE FIRST APOLLO MISSION TO SPACE. THIS JOB ALSO RELOCATED HIM TO THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND OF ANTIGUA, WEST INDIES. 

ON ANTIGUA, HE MET HIS BEAUTIFUL, EVENTUAL BRIDE-TO-BE, JEANNETTE MICHAEL. THE TWO DATED AND FELL IN LOVE, THEY BOTH REFLECTED ON THE COURTSHIP OF THE HANDSOME, AMERICAN FORMER SOLDIER AND THE ISLAND BEAUTY QUEEN. THEY MADE MANY FRIENDS ON THE ISLAND AND ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE HANGOUTS WAS THE BUCKET CLUB THAT PLAYED AMERICAN HITS. THEY WERE MARRIED ON JULY 28, 1966, AT THE BEAUTIFUL, HISTORIC ST. JOHN CATHEDRAL.  THEY MADE A DECISION TO MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES, HE RELOCATED HER AND THEIR CHILDREN TO NEW YORK CITY TO LIVE WITH HIS SISTER, PHENIA, UNTIL HIS RCA ASSIGNMENT WAS OVER. THEY HAD THREE SONS, WILLIAM ALONZO, JR. AVERY, AND SEAN. 

AFTER HE MOVED TO LAKELAND, HE BEGAN HIS CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. HE BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST DEPUTIES OF COLOR TO WORK FOR THE POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IN 1970’S. HE TRAINED THE CURRENT SHERIFF OF POLK COUNTY, GRADY JUDD, WHEN HE JOINED THE FORCE. HE WAS OFTEN REFERED TO AS DEPUTY BILL BANKS.  HE WAS RECOGNIZED AS DEPUTY OF THE YEAR IN 1995.

AFTER 23 YEARS OF DUTY, HE WENT INTO EARLY RETIREMENT TO CARE FOR HIS SON, AVERY. AVERY EVENTUALLY PASSED IN 1999.

AFTER RETIREMENT, HE WORKED AS A HOUSE PARENT FOR FLORIDA BAPTIST HOME FOR ORPHANED AND ABUSED CHILDREN.  THE KIDS ADORED HIM BECAUSE HE WAS LIKE THE GRANDFATHER THEY NEVER HAD. MR. BANKS WAS THAT FATHER TO ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN WHEN HIS KIDS WERE GROWING UP. THEY OFTENTIME WOULD SEEK HIM OUT FOR ADVICE. TO HIS OWN KIDS, THAT HE LOVED, ADMIRED AND WOULD GIVE THE WORLD WAS ADORED BY THEM. HE AND HIS WIFE, PROVIDED A SAFE AND LOVING ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR BOYS. HE ALWAYS HAD A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT WHEN YOU TALK WITH HIM.

IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE, AFTER THE PASSING OF HIS SON, AVERY, HE AND HIS WIFE, TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REARING AVERY’S THREE DAUGHTERS AND ONE OF ALONZO’S. ANOTHER, INTIMATE FACT, HE LOVED TO COOK. HE COULD STEP IN THE KITCHEN PUT TOGETHER A MEAL THAT WOULD RIVAL ANY CHEF. HE MADE THE BEST BANANA PUDDING! AND, HE ENJOYED HIS GINGER SNAP COOKIES, OR PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING SWEET.

HIS FAITH WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN HIS LIFE. HE GREW UP ATTENDING THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER.  HIS AUNT, THE REVEREND ROSA DAVIS, JOINED THE CHURCH OF GOD (ANDERSON, INDIANA) AND HIS MOTHER FOLLOWED. EVENTUALLY HE FOLLOWED SUIT. HE WOULD OFTEN DRIVE HIS AUNT AROUND TOWN BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T DRIVE.  HE WOULD OFTEN TELL THE STORIES OF THE WEALTH (OWNED THE LAND WHERE LINCOLN COURT APARTMENTS, SIMSPSON PARK AND WASHINGTON PARK APARTMENTS) AND THE INFLUENCE SHE HAD IN LAKELAND AND OTHER SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.  BROTHER BANKS, AS HE WAS KNOWN TO HIS CHURCH FAMILY, JOINED THE SECOND AND VIRGINIA CHURCH OF GOD AND WORSHIPPED FAITHFULLY UNTIL THE PASSING OF HIS PASTOR, REV. WYNN. HE LATER SERVED UNDER, PASTORS LUTHER WRIGHT AND CURTIS GILES, AT THAT LOCATION. ONCE THAT CHURCH DISSOLVED. HE JOINED THE MODEST STREET C.O.G. UNDER REV. JAMES L. WILLIAMS. HE SERVED THE CHURCH ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MEN OF VALOR CHOIR AND WORSHIP LEADER. HE SERVED UNDER REV. SILAS OLIVER, PROVIDENCE C.O.G.  AND BECAME A DEACON UNDER HIS GUIDANCE. 

 IN THE SUNSET OF HIS LIFE, HE LOST HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE OF 53 YEARS ON AUGUST 28, 2019. HE SUFFERED FROM ALZHEIMERS BUT YOU WOULDN’T KNOW IT. HE WOULD SING HIS GOSPEL HYMNS THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND NIGHT. HE WOULD PRAISE THE LORD WITHOUT SHAME. ON ONE OF HIS LAST DOCTOR APPOINMENTS, DEACON BANKS, TOLD THE DOCTOR WHEN ASKED ABOUT END OF LIFE MEASURES… “DO ALL YOU CAN IF IT’S GONNA LET ME LIVE BUT, IF NOT, I’M NOT AFRAID. BECAUSE I KNOW WHO HOLDS MY FUTURE… IF I SHOULD WALK OUT OF THAT DOOR AND YOU TELL ME I WON’T BE ABLE TO COME BACK. I’M WALKING THROUGH THAT DOOR. AND HE PRAISED THE LORD AS HE SAT IN THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE. 

ON DECEMBER 28, 2020, 6:25AM. THE LORD DISPATCHED THE ANGELS TO RECEIVE HIM. HIS SON, SEAN, WAS HOLDING HIS HAND AS HE TOOK HIS FINAL BREATH ON THIS SIDE OF THE JORDAN RIVER.

HE WAS PROCEDED IN DEATH BY HIS WIFE, JEANNETTE; SON, AVERY BANKS; GRANDDAUGHTER, NADDIA BANKS; PARENTS, EARL AND DELILAH BANKS; SIBLINGS, BURDINE BANKS, JOHN BANKS, CLARENCE E. CAMPBELL AND PHENIA VEASY.

HE LEAVES TO CHERISH HIS MEMORIES, SONS, ALONZO BANKS OF LAKELAND AND SEAN A. BANKS OF ORLANDO; GRANDCHILDREN, DRUSCILLA BANKS OF WINTER HAVEN, MEGAN BANKS OF WINTER HAVEN, MARIAH BANKS OF LAKELAND, KYANA BANKS OF BALTIMORE, MD. AND ALIYAH VAUGHAN OF LAKELAND; GREATGRANDCHILD, SERENITE BANKS OF LAKELAND; BROTHER, EARL BANKS II OF TALLAHASSEE.

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