NORWICH – Heaven has a new angel. Jean Bradshaw Banks of Seymour, Conn., devoted wife, loving mother, and adoring Grandma was able to overcome many things in her glorious life but she was not able to overcome the devastating stroke suffered on Tuesday, she put up a strong fight until Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 when she passed to be with her fallen loved ones –her mother, Esther Tyler Bradshaw, her father, Edward Henry Bradshaw and her sister Rae Bradshaw Hamlin.
Besides her husband, William Samuel Banks, married for almost 46 years, she is also survived by daughter Dr. Karen Rae Banks-Lindner and her husband Richard Lindner from Norwich., as well as her daughter Heidi Banks Patterson and her husband Shawn of Oxford, CT. Also surviving are the loves of her life, her grandchildren Tyler Lindner, Sophia Patterson, William Lindner and Abigail Patterson. She is also survived by her brothers-in-law Willard Hamlin and Lawrence Banks, nieces Barbara Bomba, Cheryl Blakeman, Emily Ballard and Katie Hone and their children.
Aside from her surviving family, she touched the lives of hundreds through church at The Christ Episcopal Church in Ansonia and through Girl Scouting. For over 32 years as a camp leader, troop leader, service unit manager, national delegate and camp business manager she had contact with many girls, many of whom considered her a second mom. Camp An-Se-Ox will not be the same without Jean Banks’ presence there. She will leave her mark on many of today’s fine women. She will also be missed by her Red Hat lady friends and her knitting group.
For the last several years she was employed by the Seymour Board of Recreation as the secretary. Prior to that she devoted her life to being a stay-at-home Mom and Grandma, and a church secretary. In her last act of heroism she was a tissue, cornea and bone donor.
Calling hours were at The Jenkins King & Malerba Funeral Home, 12 Franklin St. Ansonia, Conn. on Monday from 4: to 7 p.m. (www.jenkinskingfh.com). The Seymour Girls Scouts did a flag ceremony at the wake and performed taps.
The funeral was at Christ Episcopal Church, 56 South Cliff Street, Ansonia, Conn. at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kathleen B. Samela Memorial Food Bank at Christ Church.