Joe Bannister

Early Sunday Morning, February 19th, the Angel of Death Sounded the alarm and called Joe Bannister home to rest.  Joe answered loudly and proudly that he was ready to depart his earthly world and start his heavenly journey. He departed this life kneeling, head bowed, and in prayer as he drew his last breath.

 His earthly journey began being born to the late Buck and Hattie Bannister on January 9th, 1931.  He attended Orangeburg County Public Schools. Joe worked at the Holly Hill Lumber Yard for over 20 years before changing career paths.  At a very early age, Joe trained himself in agriculture and horticulture to where those became his secondary profession and his true passion.  Joe worked at Holly Hill Middle and High school as a chief custodian before retiring.  He loved working outside gardening and landscaping so much that upon his retirement he performed beatification projects and lawn services pro-bono throughout the community.  Joe had a green thumb in which anything and all things he planted grew, thrived, flourished, and produced abundantly.  As the expression goes a “closed hand don’t get fed,” and “you reap what you sow.”  His hands were always opened as he shared his harvest within the community.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife of 30 plus years, Hattie Brown Bannister, Brother, Solomon Bannister Jr., children: William Glover and John (Bobby) Goodwine. 

Joe leaves to his cherish memories a loving and devoted sister:  First Lady Queen (Betty) Geathers (Rev. Raymond Geathers) Eutawville; his daughters: Susie (Teekie) Hughes (St. Mathew’s), Leila (Dottie) Green, Catherine Blanchard, and Linda Brown Clark (MD); twelve grand children, five great grand children and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends that love him dearly.

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