Richard Bannister

TRAVERSE CITY — Richard Griffith Bannister (a.k.a. Dick, The Old Geezer), 94, of Traverse City, died Saturday, May 14, 2011, at Munson Hospice House, with his loving wife and family nearby. Richard was born Oct. 8, 1916, to Dr. Guy and Florence Griffith Bannister in Mansfield, Ohio. On March 5, 1942, he married Elizabeth Baker Sanders, of Louisville, Ky., who survives. Together they enjoyed 69 years of marriage and raised their three daughters in Michigan.His childhood and teen years were spent in Georgetown, Ky. He attended Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and Georgetown College, Georgetown, Ky. In 1938 he moved from Georgetown, where he had a photo studio, to work for slide film and photo illustration Automotive Group (now Arvinmeritor) and predecessor companies, in which he held managerial positions "selling and tell". Together with his fellow Rockwell employees, his associates at Lintas Campbell-Ewald Co., and PR and advertising group, Dick won many awards for business advertising, PR and related communications and made lifelong friends within the industry.Upon retirement in 1981, he and wife, Liz, a professional pianist and music educator, moved north to Leelanau County, where they had vacationed over many years, and built a hilltop home near Maple City. In 1993 they moved to Traverse City.Dick was a longtime member of the Northern Michigan Advertising Club and the Noontiders of Glen Lake. He also enjoyed many friends he met at several area churches and in the local community. In their later years he and Liz made two memorable train trips which toured national parks in the western United Sates.He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; daughters, Beth, of Traverse City, Sally (Michael) Piotrowski, of Fairfax, Va., and Susan (Ichiro) Yamaura, of Tochigi, Japan; grandsons, David and Daniel Piotrowski and Shigeru Yamaura. Also surviving are nephews, Tim, Rod and Guy Bannister (the three sons of Dicks' brother, Tom, who preceded him in death); cousin, Harriet (Ted) Schmitt and family; three grandnieces; one grandnephew; and three great-grandnephews. A celebration of Dick's life will be held Saturday, June 4, at 2:30 p.m., at the First Congregational Church on Center Road in Traverse City. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Congregational Church, 6105 Center Road, Traverse City, MI 49686; Munson Healthcare, Hospice Palliative Care, 1105 Sixth St., Traverse City, MI 49684; or to the charity of your choice.The family is being served by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services; www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.