William M Banks

William (Bill) Mathew Banks
January 27 1948 – April 28 2018

William Mathew Banks, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend to all who met him passed away in his home April 28 2018.  William was born in Lancaster, SC to Ernest Milton Banks and Ruby Moore Hancock Banks.  He had three brothers (one was his identical twin) and four sisters. 

William lived in SC until he joined the US Navy in 1965 as a Fireman.  It was when he traveled to California and was stationed at the Concord Naval weapon station that he met and married his wife Janet Lura Newman of Martinez on October 1, 1966.  William is a Veteran of the Vietnam War and served his country with pride, courage and honor until his Honorable Discharge from the Navy in 1976.

After his military service William started his career with PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) in the Pittsburg Power Plant while continuing with the Navy in the Reserves and continuing his education graduating from Diablo Valley College (DVC) and pursued every educational opportunity that PG&E would offer him he worked his way up the ladder ending his career as a Telecommunications Specialist.  William retired from PG&E in 2013 after 45 years  

William was a long time resident of Pittsburg Ca where he and his wife Janet raised their family.  In 1967 their first daughter Lori Ann Banks James was born and then in 1969 along came their second daughter Sandra Elaine Banks Durflinger.  Shortly after their second child was born they moved to Pittsburg and lived there until 2007 when they made the moved to Nampa Idaho. 

William loved the outdoors and his favorite thing to do was sitting in the woods around a campfire.  He loved to play hard and always had a good time.  He loved to snow ski in the winter and Jet Ski in the summer.  He loved spending time in his garage tooling around and always found something to keep himself busy.  He had a lifelong passion for motorcycles and he and his wife were members of the Wedded Wheels Motorcycle club of Pleasant Hill CA and he owned a motorcycle until his health would not allow it anymore.  He then bought a Polaris RZ and had his son in law and grandson take him out and drive him around.  He never lost his adventurous side. 

William made friends everywhere he went often times he would bring people home and offer them a hot meal.  He had a deep caring soul and his grandchildren were his everything.  

William is survived by his loving wife Janet Lura Banks, daughters Lori Ann James, Sandra Elaine Durflinger, son-in-law and best friend Michael James Durflinger Sr., grandchildren Kayla Ann Smith of CO, Michael James Durflinger Jr., Samantha Elaine Durflinger, Mathew Crawford James, his adopted son Jose Gonzalez of Pittsburg, sisters Patricia McKinney of SC and Brenda Rohman of NC, brother Tex Hugh Banks of SC, brother in-law Glenn Newman of Livermore CA and several nieces and nephews.

William is preceded in death by his parents Ernest Milton Banks Sr. and Ruby Moore Hancock Banks, his twin brother Willard Banks, older brother Ernest Milton Banks Jr., sisters Peggy Szmolka, Patsy Ann Olerud.

The family would like to extend thanks to the excellent care he received from the Boise VA Hospital, especially the CLC Unit staff who showed him so much gentle care and compassion.

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