John B. "Benny" Banning

Of Melbourne, Arkansas

John B. "Benny" Banning was born March 21, 1949 in Batesville, Arkansas.  He was the third child of Hoy and Sarah Hogan Banning with two sisters dying during infancy.  He received a double lung transplant on November 12, 2012, which gave him ten more great years with his family.  He passed away December 19, 2022 at the age of 73.   Benny spent his first seven years on the family farm in Lunenburg.  He developed a severe case of asthma after a bout of measles.  The family spent years in Washington State and California before moving back to Izard County.  He was a 1967 graduate of Melbourne High School.  After graduation, he went to work with George Herron as an apprentice brick mason.  In 1968 he met, fell in love with and married his sweetheart, Margaret Brown.  They were blessed with two beautiful daughters:  Eve and Amanda.  After working in the masonry field for several years, he changed careers and went to work for the Arkansas Forestry Department.  His forestry family became very important to him and he remained close until the day he died. He remained lifelong friends with his hunting buddies from Lunenburg. And died doing what he loved, playing dominoes with his friends.  His health began to deteriorate before retiring from the forestry and the doctors told him a lung transplant was his only solution.  So, he and Margaret packed a few things and moved to St. Louis, where he was placed on the transplant list. He received his new lungs November 12, 2012 from an organ donor.  He was forever grateful for the donor and all the transplant staff at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.  The transplant gave him the opportunity to love and enjoy his beloved grandchildren: Tristan, Sarah, Evan, Jonathan, Samantha and Mary and his great grandchildren:  Elizabeth and Theodora.

Benny is survived by his wife Margaret Banning of the home; two daughters:  Eve Banning Ballard and husband Thomas and Amanda Miller and husband Bobby all of Sage; six grandchildren; two great grandchildren; two sisters-in-law:  Shirley Killian Leach of Mountain Home and Norma Killian of Calico Rock; several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and many good friends.  He was preceded in death by his parents; two infant sisters; his father and mother-in-law:  Leonard and Mary Brown; one sister-in-law:  Carolyn Galloway; four brothers-in-law:  Andy Killian, Joe Galloway, Bob Killian and T W Leach and one nephew:  John Galloway.

Gathering of friends memorial service will be held Saturday, March 18 at Lunenburg Community Center from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.