As a teacher and coach, John Primus Banks believed in passing on the right values to young people, his wife said Tuesday.
Mr. Banks, a lifelong resident of Greenwood, died of heart failure Sept. 28 at the age of 81. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
He was born in 1930, graduated from Stone Street High School and Mississippi Valley State University and earned a master’s degree from Delta State University. He taught and coached at Sadie Thompson High School in Natchez and Greenwood High School, Threadgill School and Davis School in Greenwood.
He was an assistant coach on the Greenwood High football team that won the state championship in 1975 and also coached track. He was a member of MVSU’s Hall of Fame, the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame and the Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame.
His wife of 61 years, Doris Banks, said he taught students to be honest, be on time and always do their best. Many thanked him over the years for being honest and helping to shape their character, she said.
“He loved teaching and coaching,” she said. “He wanted to give them a purpose for living.”
In a 1975 interview, he said the most satisfying part of his work was teaching young people do things for themselves so they could do the same as adults.
His wife said she met him when they were in third grade at Avenue F School. At first they were friends and played together on the playground, and they became closer around sixth grade, she said.
He parents carried him to church beginning at a very early age, and he never wavered in his faith, she said. At New Zion, he still served as a deacon, usher and assistant financial secretary at the time of his death.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Calvin Collins, who will officiate at Friday’s services, said Mr. Banks was “a good all-around person” and very dedicated member who was there every Sunday.
“He did anything I asked him to do,” Collins said.
As an assistant financial secretary, Mr. Banks took collected money to the bank on Mondays for many years, Collins said.
He and his wife had two children, John Primus Banks Jr. of Jackson and Karen Sells of Shreveport, La. Mrs. Banks said he did a good job taking care of the family.
“He was the kind of father that would always know where we were and what we were doing and be interested in all of it,” she said.
Mr. Banks also served in the U.S. Army for three years, including service in Germany.
Visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday at Great Southern Funeral Home and from 10 a.m. Friday until the services at the church. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
• Contact David Monroe at 581-7236 or dmonroe@gwcommonwealth.com.
