Edward J. Banasiak

Edward Joseph Banasiak (1955-2025) Edward Joseph Banasiak, age 69, longtime resident of Windsor Locks & forever connected to his beloved community of Windsor, passed away suddenly, unexpectedly & entirely too soon on May 2, 2025 due to complications of heart disease which is cruelly ironic because anyone who crossed his path knew his heart could not have been made of anything but gold. He was born in Hartford on September 27, 1955 to Marian Banasiak & Helen Banasiak [Slezak]. He later moved to Windsor where he lived until he married his soul mate, Debbie Andrews, in 1982. They settled in neighboring Windsor Locks after a love story for the books. Ed, known as Edward to his love, was the officer to respond to her bank's silent alarm- the best 'oops,' she ever made at CNB. Ed & Debbie were married at St. Gabriel's Church before a very chilly autumn honeymoon on Lake Champlain- Ed could never pass up an opportunity for fishing on a day off! They settled & raised their two daughters in Windsor Locks where his wife and daughter Susan [Banasiak] live today. Ed was a devoted husband who always put his wife first, taking the hand me down vehicle, working overtime to ensure she could spend early years at home with their children, get ahead on mortgage payments or help support his daughter through college, & support their family into retirement. He constantly put his family first & modeled the family values his grandchildren will carry on for generations to come. Ed never left his wife's side through health scares, difficult moments, or when she had a simple errand, she easily could have completed alone. Edward, known as Eddie [Eddie the Cop, Big Ed, Edziu, & perhaps most importantly husband, Grandpa & Dad] was born to be of service. He moved to Windsor early in his childhood & as soon as he was old enough joined the Windsor Police Department as a Police Auxiliary. After graduating from Windsor High, he continued to commute to Windsor to serve the community while he attended The University of New Haven where he studied Criminal Justice & later returned as a busy detective & family man to complete his Master's in Forensic Science. Hired soon after graduation from college, he selflessly served his hometown as a Windsor Police Officer for 32 years, theoretically retiring in 2008, although anyone at the police department was fortunate to see him at roll call quite often for years after he signed off for the last time. Eddie was truly old school, he wanted to proactively patrol businesses and neighborhoods, foster relationships in town, protect the community & of course, dust for prints & fight crime. Ed held many roles in the Windsor Police Department and took great pride in his work- Ed was the first responder to a domestic turned officer-involved shooting in 1980. Fearlessly putting his own life on the line to protect others and by the Grace of God and his Second Chance Vest, he survived 4 gunshot wounds. After recovering from his incident, he proudly continued police work volunteering with the PALS Program, establishing the K-9 program at Windsor PD most famously with Gobi who enjoyed a posh retirement with his 2 youngest 'handlers' in the late 80s. After his K-9 days concluded, Eddie mentored many interns and explorers while he built expertise in forensic science, specifically fingerprint identification and taking on the role of Evidence Technician. A true expert, once clearing a person with matching identifiers to a fugitive by a roadside visual inspection of his fingerprint. For many years he was THE major crime squad, & well into his retirement he could differentiate the smallest differences of loops and whirls from a mile away even without his many pairs of readers. He was a recognized forensic expert, always willing to lend a hand to another department in need. He completed the FBI National Academy & once trekked up to the RCMP in Ontario to assist on a complex case. While no statistics were gathered for the purposes of this memoriam, rumor has it that significantly fewer fingerprints have been matched since his departure. He built relationships with hundreds of individuals in the Windsor Community & his impact extended into neighboring towns with his many years of service on the DUI task force, leading the lunch crowds into Dom's Eatery, & checking in at the local gas stations, Hudlow's & Ciceros to ensure there were no shenanigans on Bloomfield Ave on his watch. He fondly recalled stories of the Good Old Days at Windsor PD with Gasparino, Dougie, Jimmy, Art, Joel, Alford, Rich, Dwayne, Calvin, Mark, & Myron to name just a few of the many officers whom he loved and cared for deeply. The stories of Ed's service to the greater Windsor community could go on for many more paragraphs, so many who loved him have "just one more thing," to share. He was admired, appreciated & loved by so many. He wasn't one to rest in retirement & also served the State of CT for 10 years as a Fingerprint Examiner with the State Police after his work at Windsor. Ed truly embodied the idea of a 'family man.' working tirelessly to provide for his daughters, Catharine (Banasiak) McDonald & Susan Banasiak. He instantly welcomed his now son-in-law John McDonald into the family, loving him as his own long before Catharine knew they would be married-he was at least as excited as the happy couple if not more when they became engaged. Ed & John were instant lifelong friends & it was an ongoing joke that John was his favorite child, until & when Ed met the first of his 4 incredible grandchildren who got to enjoy Grandpa Ed in his retirement glory- then we were all old news. Being a Grandpa Taxi, reading endless stories on repeat, sneaking off for fast food treats or a quick fishing excursion at the local Game Club, strolling Cabelas, firing off a few rounds at the range, & indulging in excessive ice cream often before dinner were some of his favorite pastimes the last decade. Addison Grace McDonald made Ed a grandpa, the day he met her we all saw a softening and joy in his newfound grandfatherhood. When Declan Edward was born & Ed learned his grandson had his name as a middle name he became tearful and asked his Irish son-in-law, "I get the Edward, but what is the Declan for?" - His third grandchild, Hudson Andrew kept him on his toes & never turned down a playground excursion offer, & his fourth grandchild, Reagan Violette who is the boss of the family came into this world with him wrapped around her tiny fingers. At the drop of a hat Reagan announced that Grandpa should pick her up from school any day of the week the Camry would zip off from wherever it was to meet her every wish [or command]. We could fill an entire newspaper with important & cherished friends who knew & loved Eddie. He made connections everywhere he went, taught his children the value of knowing how your people like their coffee and always showing up with a beverage in hand, showing his appreciation for great [often long] conversations, connection, and possibly handyman advice. He loved & cared about the community at Dom's Eatery, Bart's, Wilson Pizza and Jim's Pizza, Hoffman's Gun, Cabela's, Sudden Service. He would make true friends everywhere & invite everyone to go fishing, to the range, or often both- it was never a platitude– this man invited the internet install guy, his plumber, and even once an Amazon delivery person to join him in his treasured hobbies. Some became longtime friends like Brian 'the Bagel Guy." Fishing was a lifelong beloved pastime, over the years Ed enjoyed the annual Shad Derby, fishing any time of the year, organizing charter boat trips despite his propensity for seasickness, target shooting at the range, long chats with his son-in-law, chasing his grandkids around playgrounds, photographing little league games & joining his grandchildren on scouting adventures. He enjoyed bike riding & never hesitated to drive an hour round trip to pick up his grandson to bicycle on the familiar neighborhood roads he knew & loved around town. He was a longtime member of the Windsor & East Windsor Gun Clubs & the Rockville Fish & Game Club who thankfully stocks their pond early so he got in one last fishing trip with his grandson just days before his passing. Ed had a love and impressive skill for photography- while it took him a few photo ops into grandparenting to adapt his skills from static crime scenes to babies, he treasured capturing moments for those he loved. He captured millions of photos over the years of baseball games, birthday parties & holidays, events with friends & colleagues- There will never be enough photos with him because he was so often behind the camera. Ed will always be honored and remembered as a sweet, caring, genuine & authentic friend who loved fiercely, cared loyally, shared many stories, "between you & me," & could make anyone he encountered feel important, respected and appreciated. Ed's grandchildren were his world, and they all miss him terribly as we all do- So many who loved Ed have asked, "What can I do?" & to honor his memory, humor & kind character we are inviting those who knew & loved Eddie to share a funny story or positive memory, "between you & me," with his grandchildren so these important stories live on in our family. Please consider sending a note and/or photo with your favorite Eddie moment to PO Box 122 Tolland CT 06084- or email cmcdonaldlpc@gmail.com We hope to create a book for his grandchildren so they can carry the many stories of Eddie the Cop, Ed and Gobi & Eddie B to share someday with their own families. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ed's honor to the Law Enforcement Active Duty Emergency Responder Program (LEADER) at McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478. Ed's family will receive friends on Thursday, May 8, 2025 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, May 9th at 10:00 AM Directly at Saint Damien of Molokai Parish, St. Gabriel Church, 379 Broad Street, Windsor. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery. For directions, condolences, or to leave a memory about Ed for his Grandchildren's Book of Memories please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Edward, please visit our floral store.