Obituary of Edwin E. Bankston, Sr.

Edwin “Big Ed” E. Bankston Sr., 65, of Canadensis, passed away on Saturday, May 9, 2015, at Pocono Medical Center. He was the loving husband of Linda (Spoerer) Bankston, with whom he celebrated 10 years of marriage on May 6. Born July 26, 1949, in New Orleans, he was a son of the late Emmit E. Bankston and Martha (Lemoine) Miller. Raised most of his life in New Orleans, Ed moved in 1994 to New York, where he met Linda. He was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Germany during Vietnam. He was also a member of the American Legion Post 922, where he served on the executive board and as the sergeant-at-arms. He retired from Weiler Corp. in 2009 due to health issues. Ed was an avid supporter of baseball and was a huge fan of the New York Yankees. Catching a game was one of he and Linda's favorite past times. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a brother, John (Migonne) Bankston of New Orleans; children Edwin, Stacey and Stephanie Bankston of New Orleans; mother-in-law Helen Whaten; sisters-in-law Cheryl Collins, Anne Marie Howell and Mildred Spoerer; three grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and his furry little friend, Molly. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Margaret Bankston and brother-in-law Mark Spoerer Sr. There will be a visitation from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 15, at Bolock Funeral Home, 6148 Paradise Valley Road, Cresco. Services will follow at 6 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Ed may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718 or to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Cremation is entrusted to Bolock Funeral Home Crematory.