Students wear cowboy hats to honor Robert Banik, longtime Guntown Middle School custodian

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Students wear cowboy hats to honor Robert Banik, longtime Guntown Middle School custodian

By BLAKE ALSUP Daily Journal Sep 8, 2021

GUNTOWN • Students and teachers at Guntown Middle School wore cowboy hats, Tuesday, to honor a longtime maintenance worker who died last week.

Roughly half of the school's sixth through eighth grade students wore cowboy hats in honor of Robert Banik, who donned a cowboy hat every day on the job, Guntown Middle School principal Dr. Karen Letson said.



Dalton Burgett, 12, joins other students at Guntown Middle School on Tuesday in wearing cowboy hats in tribute to the school's longtime maintenance worker, Robert Banik, who died Sept. 3. Banik wore his trademark cowboy hat daily.

Thomas Wells | Daily Journal

Banik died on Sept. 3 at North Mississippi Medical Center.

Banik, who was set to retire in December, worked for 20 years as one of the school's two custodians. Those who knew him said he went far above and beyond the requirements of the job.

The 65-year-old maintenance worker was witty and easygoing. He preferred to communicate by walkie talkie rather than his cellphone. With no qualms, he'd catch and release mice, squirrels or snakes that had found their way inside back into the wild. Banik would bring candy to share with students — from chocolate to butterscotch or peppermints. He always knew which students liked what sweets; if he didn't have candy, he'd slip them a dollar or two.

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A yearbook photo of Robert Banik, longtime Guntown Middle School custodian, in his trademark cowboy hat.

COURTESY

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Blake Alsup
Reporter

Blake covers education for the Daily Journal.

[mopinko]

1. not sure they make em like that any more.

[hibbing]

2. Wow, his picture

Not sure if I would have felt the same way having not read the article before seeing his picture, but he just looks like a gentle soul.


Peace

[hlthe2b]

3. Nice.. He went a long way toward raising a new generation of GOOD people by example.

I hope he didn't die of COVID-19... It doesn't say, so I will just hope not.

[redstatebluegirl]

4. Wow what a gentle face.

I agree, I don't think they make them like this anymore.

[UpInArms]

5. He was from Guntown, Mississippi (not Missouri)

We would have love for him to be a Missouri treasure …

Here is his obituary:


Guntown- Robert Stanley Banik, 65 of Guntown MS, passes away September 3, 2021, at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo MS. He was born December 14, 1955 in Chicago IL, to John and Joyce Banik.

He worked many years for Hunter Sadler in Tupelo, and he spent the last twenty years working maintenance at Guntown Middle School. He loved buying, selling, and trading. He was a people person and he could talk to anyone and everyone.

Services will be held Sunday at 2pm at Waters funeral Home with the visitation Sunday 12 – 2pm at the funeral home.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Deborah Wages Banik, one son Robert (Kelly) Banik of Starkville, one grandson (Isaiah), two brothers, John Banik of Fulton and Joe (Pam) Banik of Mooreville, one brother-in-law Mickey Wages of Mantachie, three sister-in-law’s Judy (Steve) Hughes of Guntown, Kathy (Rex) Harrison of Iuka and Tammy Ingram of Guntown.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Sherrie and husband Jim Davis of Fulton, his daughter Kimberly Ann Banik, his in-laws Reverend Jim and Dorothy Wages.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family @www.watersfuneralservice.com

https://newobits.com/2021/09/04/robert-banik/

Looks like a bunch of peeps from Guntown are dying from Covid … just looking at the death notices …