Doris Jeanette Banks

Doris J. Banks, 94, passed away on Wednesday February 5, 2025. She was born on July 3, 1930 in Baltimore, Maryland to the late Florence Roane and Howard Stewart. She attended the Baltimore City Public schools and graduated from Douglass Senior High School. After graduation she went to work at Mercy Medical Center and retired after being employed for over 40 years. She was a dedicated worker, and seldom missed time from work, which is probably why she was able to make the decision to retire at the early age of 62. During her lengthy career at Mercy, Doris built a friendly rapport with doctors, nuns, nurses, and administrative personnel, and often used these relationships to determine medical referrals for family and friends. She knew which team to work with for any specific procedure, and made sure you were comfortable if you were ever admitted to the hospital. She held several positions at the hospital, but truly enjoyed her work in her final position as Recovery Room technician. In 1953, she married Eugene Banks and out of this union they raised four sons. After raising the sons, and watching them grow into manhood, she became self-sufficient and moved to an apartment and eventually a senior citizen facility. During her years at the apartment, she prepared full course dinners for the entire family on Sundays, and she always made enough food to allow for take home containers for each of the family members. Doris’ true magic was preparing enjoyable meals on a limited budget for four young men and a husband. Although she could prepare all types of meals, her claim to fame was her potato salad, chocolate chip cookies, and her chocolate cakes. She would prepare a chocolate cake for each of the neighborhood kids on their birthday, and made certain each birthday was acknowledged by the other kids in the neighborhood. At the senior facility she made numerous friends, worked in the dining hall, and joined the tenant association, where she went from just being a member to President for two Consecutive terms. They wanted her to remain as President indefinitely but she declined the invitation because she wanted to spend more time with family and friends. Doris and her best friend, Mrs. Beatrice (Bea) Bennett were extremely close, but could go several months without actually seeing each other, but on their birthdays, they would always send each other a card with a twenty-dollar bill enclosed. When Doris would receive the money, she would just transfer the same twenty to another card, and save it for Ms. Bea’s birthday. That same twenty-dollar bill was probably forty years old. Doris also made certain her home was a welcoming center for the entire neighborhood. She accomplished this by allowing her boys to have friends over to do homework, study, and play games such as cards, pool, ping pong, darts and other activities too numerous to mention. Although it could sometimes get noisy and crowded, she always felt better knowing her boys were safe at home. After being self-sufficient and independent until Age 92, she reluctantly agreed to move from her senior citizen apartment, and allow family and friends to support her in her daily activities. Doris was preceded in death by two brothers, Richard Stewart, Ronald Roane, and five sisters, Mary Byrd,Shelia Rose, Florence Stewart, Gladys Cox, and Mendell Braxton. Doris leaves behind to cherish her wealth of memories, her children Bernard and Sang, Eugene and Pamela, Michael and Sharon, Steven and Cheryl; twelve granddaughters, Eisha, Alisha, Kandis, Carla, Jenise, Ashley,Lauren,Janaya,Danay,Renette, Nicole, and Nyah; three grandsons, Bernard Jr., Ziair, and Jason; nine great grandsons, John,Ervin, Cahlil, Jaxon, Chance, Chase, X-Zavier, Da-Jon, and Grayson; ten great granddaughters,Chardae, Isis, Kelsye, Kendall, Kaia, Danasia, Artemis, Nakayla, Malayna, and London,two great-great granddaughters, Jayla, Mia, two great-great grandsons, Ervin,Noa; seven siblings, DorothyStokes, Helen Anderson, Charlotte Butler, Lawrence Roane Jr., Gary Roane, Louis Roane, Carolyn Smith, a brother in law Rockeyfellow Byrd,and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.

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Doris Jeanette Banks

July 3, 1930 - February 5, 2025