Lorry Bannes

Lorry was the devoted husband and best friend of Debbie Bannes and the late Janet A. Bannes; loving father of Stephen (Mary Lee) Bannes, Michael (Kathy) Bannes, and the late Rev. Timothy Bannes; loving grandfather Marc (Meg McGrath) Bannes, Maddie (Jerel) Bobbitt, Matt (fiancee' Grace Fussner) Bannes, Nora Bannes, and Hope Bannes; dear brother of Mary (the late Harold) Hill, Kathy (Ken) Erb, Jane (the late Charlie) Denzel, and Carol (Ed Bronczyk) Schneiderhahn; dear son-in-law of Dottie Milligan, brother-in-law of Tommy (Rita) McLain special uncle to Chad McLain; dear uncle, great-uncle, cousin, godfather, and friend and mentor to many in his lifetime.

Lorry attended St. Stephen Protomartyr and St. Francis of Assisi grade schools. He went on to CBC High School where he excelled in academics and sports, winning a state championship in track in 1953. He went on to Saint Louis University and graduated with honors from the Institute of Technology in 1957 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He then proudly served 3 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Planning and Programming Officer at SAC base under construction in Columbus, Mississippi.

Upon returning to St. Louis, Lorry became a registered Professional Engineer and began a career that would lead to becoming one of the most influential and respected figures in the construction industry. He quickly advanced as an estimator, project manager and chief engineer at Gamble Construction Co. in the 1960’s and became their President/CEO at age 36. There, he was instrumental in the construction of one of St. Louis’ most iconic structures—the Planetarium. In 1971, he was named, “Young Engineer of the Year” by the society of Professional Engineers.

In 1972, Bannes co-founded with Joe Shaughnessy, his IT classmate and colleague at Gamble Construction Co, what would become one of the largest, most successful general contracting firms in the area, Bannes-Shaughnessy, Inc., with the mission of providing complete and comprehensive construction services and management. Under creative and ethical leadership, Bannes-Shaughnessy, Inc. grew quickly, becoming highly successful and employing hundreds. Lorry was elected CEO/Chairman and by the late 1980’s, Bannes-Shaughnessy, Inc. was responsible for the construction of over 1,000 commercial and institutional structures. And along the way, Bannes received numerous awards of service and recognition of excellence from many national, state, and local professional organizations.

Bannes’ passion for construction was fueled by his desire for service. In his mind, buildings needed to serve people in the best possible manner, and this concept played out in a variety of ways. He was a gifted, respected teacher, accepting positions with the Washington University School of Architecture, St. Louis University School of Engineering, and many others. His teaching career spanned nearly 50 years, and he joyfully helped many advance in construction and related careers. Lorry also served as a board member for many local and state organizations, offering his expertise in virtually any capacity he was called to serve. Most notably, he guided St. John’s (Mercy) Hospital through numerous expansion projects as a senior advisory board member, and served as the chairman for numerous capital campaigns for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Human Rights Commission for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Lorry remained extremely grateful for the education he received and was proud to be a graduate of CBC and St. Louis U. and gave back, generously, to both institutions. He was a valued donor and trusted advisor to the Christian Brothers, and he was elected to the CBC Hall of Fame in 1981. He was also a key advisor in the school’s relocation and development of the current campus facilities, and from 1984-87, he was Chairman of the Board of Trustees. In 1993, he received one of his most cherished honors, an Affiliation of the Christian Brothers was bestowed upon him. This Affiliation is quite rare and is only awarded to those who have continuously demonstrated the “fraternal character” of the Christian Brothers, that is, one who has deep faith, love for young people, and enthusiasm for their religious and “total” education, sensitivity to the needs of the poor, and values embodying the ideals of the Brothers.

At St. Louis University, Lorry was also a key advisor to several College Presidents, and served as the Chairman of the Associates of the President from 1981-82. Until his death, he remained active with both institutions and with alumni and recently, was the guiding force behind orchestrating his CBC Class of 1953 70th high school class reunion.

Throughout his life, Lorry demonstrated great faith in the Catholic church in which he was raised and lived with a great trust in God’s providence. He believed that life, each day, was a gift and he truly lived that belief, in good times and bad, in sickness and health, in joy and sorrow. He considered each day an opportunity to learn . . . to grow . . . to move closer to God.

His love for life played out in his many varied interests. He was an accomplished, published author and poet, he love all things of nature especially trees and frogs. He was a passionate woodworker, and he had a reverence for tools and craftsmanship.

He was a thoughtful, kind, generous, and gentle man, who will be missed by too many to count.

In his final act of unselfishness, he donated his body to St Louis University School of Medicine in an effort to further research of Inclusion Body Myositis to help others since he was afflicted with this muscle disease for 20 years.

Please consider a donation in Lorry's memory to one of the following: CBC High School Janet Bannes Memorial Scholarship Fund https://www.cbchs.org/apps/pages/scholarshipgiving; Fr. Bob's Outreach, 1371 Hamilton Avenue, St. Louis MO 63112 fatherbobsoutreach.com, or Burkina Faso Outreach, 10045 Lenore Drive St. Louis MO 63123 http://bfoafrica.org/

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 2, 2023 at 11am at CBC HIgh School, 1850 De LaSalle Drive, Saint Louis Missouri 63141. The family will receive family and friends from 10-11am. A reception will follow Mass.

Please leave a fond memory of Lorry for his family to cherish at the "Add a Memory" link below.