Nancy Baird Banks' Obituary
Nancy Baird Banks, 86, was born on December 9, 1930, in Nashville, Arkansas. She passed away on December 21,2016. She was preceded in death by her parents, Callie and Curtis Baird, her grandparents, Lula and Charles John, and her niece, Annalisa Flores. Nancy is survived by her husband Gerald (Jerry) Banks, daughter Gera Banks Winchester and son-in-law John Winchester, daughter Diane Banks Grindstaff and son-in-law Jack Grindstaff and daughter Sheryl Banks Osborn and son-in-law Michael (Mike) Osborn; grandchildren Carly Winchester, Lily Winchester, Melanie Mize, Ryan Grindstaff and wife Kara, Brandon Grindstaff, Colten Grindstaff, Sarah Wright and husband Ramsey, and Lisa Osborn; great grandchildren Veda Mize, Cora Mize, Cameron Wright and Macyn Wright; sister Clairene Miller; niece Maxine (Dino) Scott and husband Wayne, and nephew Philip Miller and wife Mari; along with numerous great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins. Nancy was raised in a faith-filled family by her parents and grandparents, who lived together into her adult years. Each of them had a profound and enriching influence on this incredible woman. Nancy and her family moved from Arkansas to Dallas when she was a child, settling in South Oak Cliff. An independent young girl, she traveled solo all around Dallas via bus transportation. She knew how to take care of herself! While her parents and grandparents instilled faith and solid family values in her, they also taught her poise and grace. As she grew into adulthood, family, friends and coworkers appreciated her as the ultimate classic lady, with old fashioned manners and courtesy. Nancy attended Crozier Tech High School in Dallas, where she was head cheerleader with her long blond hair and tiny figure, she was recruited as a model for the Marcus brothers (later Neiman Marcus) and usa magazines. A milestone for Nancy in her modeling career was working for KRLD TV in Dallas, where she was the first model in the country on live television. In 1951, Nancy organized and hosted a Halloween party at Central Baptist Church in Dallas. A young man, Gerald (Jerry) Banks, who had just moved to Dallas from a small town in west Texas (though east Texas raised), attended with his sister, Gladys. Dressed in an early American ball gown sewn by her grandmother, Nancy was the vision of timeless beauty. Jerry fell in love in that first moment he saw her. A week or so after the party, following Sunday night church, Gladys offered Nancy a ride home, and she cleverly hopped in the back seat of Jerry’s 1941 Ford Coupe, leaving Nancy to sit beside him in the front seat. And so, a 65 year love story between the sophisticated big city model and the East Texas country boy began. Nancy was ending her modeling career as she and Jerry met, and she began working for what was then Chance Vought (now part of Lockheed Martin). The two began a beautiful six-month courtship, and were married in a small ceremony at their Central Baptist Church preacher’s home, by Brother Earnheart. They went all out for their wedding night celebration, dining on hamburgers. An intimate, yet elegant reception was held for them the following day by her parents and grandparents. This magnificent, eclectic mix of simplicity and elegance embodied Nancy’s personality her entire life. After Nancy and Jerry married, Nancy left Chance Vought to work for the Internal Revenue Service. But a career outside the home was not what she wanted. Nancy and Jerry’s love for children inspired them to start a family quickly, and their first daughter, Gera DeAnn, was born. A little less than two years later, their second daughter, Rebecca Diane, arrived. And two years later, their surprise third daughter, Sheryl Annette, came along. Rounding out the family were Nancy’s grandparents, Papa and Nanny, who moved into their converted garage apartment. Papa passed away in 1959, but Nanny continued to live with them until she died in 1968. Times were tough for the young family of three little girls. Jerry worked two jobs most of the first several decades of their life together. In order to stay home with her children when they were young, Nancy took ‘hair’ modeling jobs with a local salon, as well as took in children to babysit. As her own children grew older, Nancy rejoined the workforce at University of Texas at Arlington, retiring from UTA in the early 1980s. Retirement for Nancy came along at just the right time, as their three daughters gifted her and Jerry with many grandchildren throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and they, along with great-grandchildren who followed, became the new lights in Nancy’s life. Nancy always said she did not know how to ‘play,’ but the grandchildren, who sweetly named her Damma, and later great-grandchildren, disagreed. They played cards games (which she always let them win), the kids performed magic shows, plays and musicals, they read books and sang songs of all kinds. Most importantly, she was ‘sanctuary,’ when the Grandpa Tickle Monster was after them. But it was not just the joyous play time she gave to her grandchildren and great -grandchildren. They cuddled under Damma’s soft blanket in winter. She scratched their backs and cozied with them while they watched Golden Girls and Murder She Wrote. She made them the most delicious grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese. She drove them to endless sporting practices and tournaments. And Damma listened to them … to their funny stories, heartbreaks, ambitions and dreams. Nancy had always been devoted to her family, especially her parents, and after her father passed away in 1984, and with her children grown, Nancy found herself in a new caregiver situation with her mother. Every day, no matter what else was going on in her life, Nancy cooked special food for ‘Mama,’ prepared her medications and vitamins and fixed her hair. She did her mama’s laundry, helped bathe her and managed her doctors and health care. All of these expressions of devotion could have been fulfilled by caregivers in the nursing home where her mother lived, but Nancy would have none of that. Her dedication was unsurpassed. Nancy’s mother devastatingly passed away in 1992, but when Jerry retired from General Motors (after 39+ years), the two of them found more time to spend with one another. For years, as they ate their breakfast together, Jerry would read the paper to her. The ultimate romantic AND jokester, he would usually follow their meal with a made up love song (it always had to rhyme, even if the words did not make sense), and some silly, also made-up joke. This routine became especially meaningful in Nancy’s last years when her health began to decline. Of course, their romance was also bound by faith. Every night as they went to sleep, Jerry prayed aloud (Nancy loved the sound of his voice), as they held hands and drifted to sleep. The profound impact of this beautiful woman who was at once simple and unaffected, yet classic and elegant, cannot be measured. Nancy was the rock of her family, the consummate example, who instilled her deep faith in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Completely devoted to her family, Nancy always put others first. She was slow to spend a penny carelessly, but quick to give generously. If her family needed anything, she made sure they had it. Turning to prayer as the answer to struggles, of which she had many, Nancy was the calm in the storm’s eye, no matter the circumstance. Fiercely independent, Nancy had strong convictions, especially about her faith. She was outspoken, a champion of just causes, and clear-minded about right and wrong. Yet Nancy was also tender and loving, selfless and the ultimate caregiver. Nancy encouraged her children to explore their gifts, passions and talents, such as music and art, and she instilled a strong work ethic in all three of her daughters, who passed all of those values on to their children and grandchildren. From her devotion to her grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even the dozens of stray cats and dogs (her ‘babies’) she loved and cared for over the years, her gentle heart was shared. Nancy Baird Banks is a woman who loved and who was loved deeply in life, and who will be cherished in her family’s hearts for the rest of their lives. Most importantly, Nancy was the love of Jerry’s life for 65 years. The visitation for Nancy Banks will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, Monday, December 26, 2016 at Restland Funeral Home. Service for Nancy will be held at 3:00 PM, Tuesday, December 27, 2016 in The Wildwood Chapel at Restland Funeral Home.
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