Richard Lowell (“Dick”) Banowsky passed away on October 14, 2020. He was born on June 21, 1934, in Abilene, Texas to Thelma Slater Banowsky and Wade Lowell Banowsky. After graduating from Ft. Worth Carter Riverside and Abilene Christian University, he enlisted as an officer in the US Navy, serving as a flight navigator and a JAG officer in Honolulu, Hawaii. After his naval service, he attended dental school, graduating from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1965. He practiced in Irving, Texas for almost twenty years. During this time, he also served twelve years as a trustee on the Irving ISD School Board, three as President of the Board.
In his first “retirement,” Dr. Banowsky opened a dental practice in Quitman, Texas, and then established a cattle and Christmas tree farm nearby, a business that he enjoyed running with his family for several years. On the farm, he was fond of telling his visiting grandkids, “There is only one rule at the farm, and that is there are no rules at the farm.” The grandchildren will never forget the fun and adventure they enjoyed at the farm with their grandparents. He “retired” again in 1990, but soon found that the many hours of work he put into his farm wasn’t enough, so he began to work as a dentist for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice nearby. Twelve years later he finally retired.
A lifelong member of the Church of Christ, Dr. Banowsky served as a deacon of Central Church of Christ in Irving, and as an elder of the Holly Lake Church of Christ. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Camp Deer Run, a Church of Christ youth camp located near his farm.
Dr. Banowsky accomplished a number of admirable things in his life, but he always recognized that he couldn’t have done any of them without the help and support of his wife of almost 65 years, Anne Compton Banowsky. They complimented each other in all the right ways, and the uniqueness and completeness of their partnership were clear to anyone who spent time with them.
Dr. Banowsky was predeceased by his parents and his brother, William S. (Bill) Banowsky.
Dr. Banowsky is survived by his wife, Anne; three sons and their spouses: Bill and Susan Banowsky, Jim and Teresa Banowsky and Kurt and Angela Banowsky; six grandchildren and their spouses: William and Callie Banowsky, Robert and Vicky Banowsky, Benton Banowsky, Anna Banowsky, Sarah and Kylar Christison, and Hannah and Evan Kauper; and four great-grandchildren: Blair Banowsky, William Banowsky, Cody Christison and Zoe Christison. He is also survived by his sisters Nancy Myers and Martha Sherman, sister-in-law Gay Banowsky, brother-in-law David Compton of Athens, Georgia, and numerous nieces and nephews and their children.
Visitation will be at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home in Colleyville at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, followed by an interment in the family memorial garden at Bluebonnet Hills Cemetery at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp Deer Run in Winnsboro, Texas (campdeerrun.com). The family would like to give special thanks to the caregivers at The Avenues of Park Forest in Dallas, for the kind and gentle care and friendship they provided over the last several months.
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