Archived Services

James Banbury
09-07-2007

James, "Jim",Banbury, 63, passed away September 7, 2007. Visitation will be Tuesday, 5:30 PM at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home with a Scripture Vigil at 7 PM. Funeral Mass will be Wednesday, 10 AM at Christ The King Church with private family burial to follow at St. Michael Cemetery with Military Rite by the VFW #628. There is a headstone in a cemetery in Ireland that reads, "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; Love leaves a memory no one can steal." Jim Banbury leaves us a myriad of memories. A member of O'Gorman High School's first graduating class of 1962, he remained close to many of his classmates, sharing news and solving the world's problems at the weekly coffee klatch of O'Gormanites at Hy-Vee. He was a member of the O'Gorman Alumni Board and was honored to have been selected as an Outstanding Alumnus. In 1971, he graduated with a B.A. in History from Sioux Falls College. In 1975 he earned his Master's degree in Sociology from the University of South Dakota. Jim will be remembered by his fellow veterans for his "war stories," good humor, and blarney. He served in the U.S. Army from 1964-1967. From 2004 to 2006 he was the Sioux Falls Commander of Disabled American Veterans, and he was a volunteer at the VA Hospital. Jim will also remain a prominent character in the "memory books" of the children and families he encountered during his thirty-year tenure at the Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center. He was hired as a Counselor (1971), became a Case Worker (1972), a Probation Officer (1974), and, from 1977-2000, he served as the Director. Over the years, many adults came up to him, looked him in the eye, shook his hand, and said, "Thank you, Jim. You changed my life." Jim imparted the salutation, "Peace be with you" to many parishioners of Christ the King Church. He had a deep commitment to his faith and his church. He was a member of Christ the King Parish Council as well as the Liturgy committee. But most of all, Jim will be remembered by his family. Preceded in death by his parents, Adele and Richard, he is survived by four sisters: Barbara Montville of Minneapolis, Mary of Las Vegas, Anne of Sioux Falls, and Patrice Tunge of North Dakota; his nephews Robert and Richard; his niece Nancy; aunts, Bonnie Fitzgibbons and Rose Ann Ryan of Sioux Falls; and numerous cousins. One of Jim's favorite Irish toasts was: "May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead." Back at you, Jim. Memorials may be directed to the O'Gorman High School Scholarship Fund.