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And to think, some of us thought Lacy J. Banks was one of a kind. It took his funeral Thursday (March 29) to find out otherwise. Not that the thought of the Reverend no longer being unique in any way diminishes him. Lacy was indeed special and will remain so long after all who were at the service of celebration and thanksgiving at Liberty Baptist Church in Chicago are gone from this earth.
Lacy J. Banks was a remarkable person.
Lacy was a sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times, so words played a definite role in the ceremony.
Lacy was a preacher (since childhood), so clergy played a definite role in the ceremony.
Lacy was a singer with a magnificent voice, so music played a definite role in the ceremony.
When his sister Veruynca C. Williams and his brother Pastor Ephthallia Banks sang melodies of praise at the service, you could hear Lacy’s voice. When his brother Rev. Jimmie Lee Banks delivered the Victory Celebration Message, you could hear Lacy’s voice.
The siblings’ vocal and verbal similarities were so eye-opening that you realized what set Lacy apart from your garden-variety sports scribe — his singing and preaching — was somehow inherent in the Banks family DNA. After all, these are the children of the late Rev. A.D. and Sarah Banks.
Yes, Lacy was special. And at the same time, he was one of several siblings so blessed.
Jimmie Lee Banks said his mother’s voice was considered a blend of Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson. And after Sarah Banks died when Lacy was young, his father kept the family of eight children together rather than scatter them to relatives.
Thursday’s 3 1/2-hour service was truly a celebration. Among those attending were Bob Love, Sidney Green and Stacey King of the Bulls. Green was among those offering reflections, as was Albert Dickens, a longtime Sun-Times colleague. Rev. Janette Wilson, represented Rainbow PUSH Coalition (Jesse Jackson was unable to attend). Also attending were Toni Ginnetti, the Sun-Times sportswriter who wrote Lacy’s obituary in the paper; Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander; Sun-Times sports writer Mark Potash; former Sun-Times Bulls reporter John Jackson; fellow NBA scribes Sam Smith (bulls.com), Steve Aschburner (nba.com) and K.C. Johnson (Tribune). Fred Mitchell of the Tribune also was among the crowd that heard Jimmie Lee Banks speak of Lacy’s early success as a young preacher that allowed Lacy to offer 50 cents to whichever brother would go upstairs and bring him his tennis shoes.
And for those who wondered, the “J.” in Lacy J. Banks stands for “Jimmerson.” You learn something every day. Just as some of us learned that when Lacy received a settlement years ago from the Sun-Times during a case regarding wrongful termination, he put dimes in brown envelopes to give to church members.
Many of the stories probably were well-known to Lacy’s lovely wife of 43 years Joyce and their three daughters Nicole, Noelle and Natasha. Some of the stories brought smiles. Others — such as Jimmie Lee speaking of picking cotton in Mississippi — reminded us that Lacy’s early years were spent in a world that many may know only through history books.
Rev. Dr. Darryl Jackson, who presided over the service, spoke of how he thought Lacy may have had a hand in the Bulls’ overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors a few days after his death. Jackson even unzipped his robe to reveal he was wearing a Bulls tie and had on Bulls cufflinks. Another reason to smile on occasion made so joyous by so many. Rev. Jackson is hoping to find a way to have Lacy put into the baskteball hall of fame.
Words do not do the service justice. Words do not do Lacy justice.
Let it suffice to say it was special. Let it also suffice to say he was special.
To have been able to be a witness at the event — and to have known Lacy — was special. And always will be.
OUT AND ABOUT IN CHICAGOLAND:
Maybe the force will be with the Slaughter's Special Ops team at Saturday's game.
* Enthusiasts of the roller derby may want to take note: The Windy City Rollers will be in action Saturday at the UIC Pavilion. Tickets ($21.50 for general admission, $36.50 for track-side VIP) are available at Ticketmaster with $5 off general admission by using the code WRECK12! WCR’s Second Wind takes on Naptown’s Warning Belles at 6 p.m., followed by the WCR All-Stars to take on Naptown Tornado Sirens.
* The Indoor Football League’s Chicago Slaughter is hoping the force will be with it for Saturday’s 7 p.m. game against the Bloomington Edge at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. After all, it is scheduled to be “Star Wars Theme Night.” Festivities will include a pregame costume parade, costume contest, Star Wars characters available for photos on the concourse and Star Wars themed in-game promotions. Maybe the Slaughter’s Special Ops team will wear Princess Leia outfits. Something to think about.
One of the perks of co-hosting "Sports & Torts" is being able to spend quality time with lovely ladies such as Hadley Allen.
Thursday’s “Sports & Torts” with David Spada and Elliott Harris featured Earl Lloyd, the first African-American to play in the NBA. His story was so compelling that we devoted two segments to him. The featured female on the show was Hadley Allen, a Chicago-based personal trainer whose specialty is working with baby boomers. Hadley also is one of the trainers featured on NBC Nonstop’s weight-loss show “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.”
To view the “Sports & Torts” with her, you can click here.
Persons interested in becoming a part of the “Sports & Torts” experience as an advertiser may contact David Spada at david@injuryinillinois.com.
Advertising opportunities are available on elliottharris.com. For information and rates, contact sales@elliottharris.com.