John Charles BANNISTER

JOHN CHARLES BANNISTER May 31, 1938 - June 1, 2020 John passed away peacefully on June 1, 2020 with his wife Sally (nee Meredith) at his side. He grew up in Brampton, Ontario and attended University of Toronto Engineering School and Western (Ivey) Business School, both on full academic scholarships. His stellar business career centered on Sales and Sales Leadership at IBM and other mainframe computer companies. By far, his greatest satisfaction and happiness came from his family, to which he was completely devoted. He imprinted in them his core values of kindness, love, appreciation of others, hard work, and living by the highest ethical and moral standards. He was a natural teacher to his four children - Don (Jane Kelly), Doug (Corie Bannister), Susan (David Keegan) and Janet (Rob Rutledge) - and turned every opportunity into a chance to help them learn and grow, whether it was Saturday morning science experiments, vocabulary games at the dining room table, or solving difficult math problems. He encouraged his children and celebrated their frequent achievements with a special cake for dinner, whether it was a great test score, an athletic accomplishment, or a musical performance. John loved learning about new places; through his business travels and adventures with Sally, he travelled extensively, including to Europe, the Far East, the British Isles and all Canadian provinces. Their favourite place though was the family cottage they built on Georgian Bay where they treasured their time with family and friends. John took immense joy in his seven grandchildren, Charlie, Sarah, Nat, Andy, Nora, Kate, and John. He relished the opportunity to be with them and be a part of their lives, teaching them how to use the woodworking tools he gave them every year, making ice cream at the cottage together, and running his electric train set with them. He loved to give them wheelbarrow rides, sing songs with them, read them stories, and swim in Georgian Bay together. John had many exceptional qualities; he was most consistently described by others as a consummate gentleman. People joked that if you looked up "gentleman" in Webster's Dictionary, you might find John Bannister's picture. John was predeceased by his cherished brother Bill (died 1971) and his parents Charlie and Betty Bannister. A special thanks to the wonderful staff at Christie Gardens for their kindness and empathy; in particular, Debbie Stipetic and her dedicated team showed endless compassion and love in John's final days. You are invited to send a message to the family and/or make a donation to the Parkinson Foundation at http://donate.parkinson.ca/bannister We are grateful for the wonderful memories and that his spirit and character live on in his children and grandchildren.