Jack Gerald Banister

Jack Gerald Banister

Jack "Ike" Gerald Banister, 87, of Erie, passed away Saturday, January 7, 2023 at Western Reserve Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. Jack was born November 7, 1935 in Erie, a son of the late William and Ruth (Elliott) Banister.

Jack married RoseMarie Marinelli on May 31st in 1958 at Saint Peter Cathedral in Erie and began his life long career as an upholsterer. His first job was at Auto Seat Cover Company.

Jack and Rose made their home in the house that Jack built on Grubb Road in McKean and committed to raising their seven children.

In 1971 Jack moved the family to California. He opened his first upholstery shop in North Hollywood and called it "Selby's Top Shop". During his tenure in California Jack was proud of the work he was asked to do for Walt Disney Studios and actors Jerry Lewis and Chuck Connors. An episode of Adam 12, a popular television series in the 70's, was filmed in the parking lot of Selby's and Jack shook hands with the stars of the series, actors Kent McCord and Martin Milner.

Jack loved to take the family to Disney Land, camping, and touring old Spanish Missions on his time off.

In 1976, Jack uprooted the family again. He said, "I want to go North" and his family settled in Grangeville, Idaho. He bought a home, opened his second upholstery business and called it J. B. Upholstery.

Idaho was vast wilderness and not the kind of family environment anyone in the family was used to. Jack joined the Timber Cruiser 4x4 Club, installed a CB radio, and his CB handle became Mobil 9. Jack helped the wildland firefighters when the Cotter Bar fire came close to the family home in 1977 by taking firefighters cold drinks and helped any way he could. Day or night if someone was in distress in a snowbank or in a ditch, if they had a CB and Mobile 9 was called, he answered.

Jack was hired by the NezPerce American Natives to teach upholstery classes one evening a week.

In 1978 Jack moved his family back to Erie. He opened his third and final shop calling it AA Auto and it remained in business for another 33 years. He upholstered some of the most beautiful furniture. He loved the model A's, T's, sports cars, and T-Tops but his "bread and butter" were custom made motorcycles, snowmobiles, boats, auto interior seats, and tonneau covers. He also taught an Upholstery Class at Erie County Vo Tech School.

Jack loved having the grandkids come by the shop unexpectedly to change their oil or just shoot the bull for a while. He liked to remind them to fill their gas tank when their cars were half full, not wait until it was empty.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by five brothers, Ray, Will, Jim, Robert, and Tom; five sisters, Jean Louise, Ruth, Dorothy "Dot", Marion, and Stella; two granddaughters, Jenna Walker and Alicia Stalheim, and an infant grandson, John Michael Banister.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, RoseMarie Marinelli Banister and seven children, John Banister, Robert Banister, Lorei Willoughby (Ron), Mark Banister (Tammy), Mary Banister (Mark), Lynn Walker (John), and Joseph Banister (Dawn). He is also survived by 19 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Friends are invited to call on Thursday at the John R. Orlando Funeral Home, Inc., 2122 Raspberry Street, from 2:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and may attend a Funeral Mass on Friday at Saint Francis Xavier Church, 8880 Main Street, McKean, PA, at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to Shriners Hospitals for Children, www.shrinerschildrens.org.