Sylvia Banks
December 6, 1936 – June 19, 2020
Today I lost an amazing lady. She was smart, beautiful, a loving and caring wife, companion, friend, and my sweetheart for 56 years. She loved, cared for, and was always concerned for her children and grandchildren.
Sylvia was born in Atlanta on December 6, 1936, daughter of Freida Lazarus and Louis Miller, and grew up in the Morningside District. She always wanted to go to school and attended Morningside Elementary. She graduated from Henry Grady High School in 1954.
Taking the train to New Orleans, by herself, she attended Sophie Newcombe College. She was a founding member of the SDT Sorority. She loved New Orleans the French Quarter. He father traveled and would go to New Orleans; they would go to Antoine’s and have Oysters Rockefeller and Trout Amandine. They would go to the Blue Room at the Roosevelt Hotel to see Sophie Tucker. While she loved New Orleans, she did not like humidity, and the dorms were not air conditioned. So, she returned to Atlanta and graduated from Emory in 1958 with an Elementary Training Degree.
She met her husband, Morton, on a blind date. Morton had come to Atlanta with a friend, and Sylvia was with the friend. When she got home, her sister, Gayle, asked her “How was the date?” Sylvia said, “Okay, but I like the other one better.” Sylvia and Morton were married on December 1, 1963 and after their honeymoon to Nassau, they moved to Huntsville.
They became members of Temple B’nai Sholom. She was active with the Temple Sisterhood and was also a life member of Hadassah.
She enjoyed tennis, aerobics, walking, and hiking. She and her husband enjoyed traveling to many countries and taking many classes.
She leaves behind her loving husband, Morton, and her two children, Larry Banks (Michelle) of Huntsville, and Laurie Attias of Nashville; her four grandchildren, Jessica and Samuel Banks, Jerrod and Jordyn Attias, as well as her sister, Gayle Weissbrodt (Arthur).
The funeral service will be graveside only, at Maple Hill Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 22nd. The family requests that those who attend please wear a face mask and practice social distancing. When it becomes safer to gather together indoors, there will be a Celebration of Love at Temple B’nai Sholom in honor of our beloved Sylvia.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple B’nai Sholom or the Temple’s Jewish Heritage Center, at P.O. Box 2463 Huntsville, AL 35805.
