Victor Banks Obituary

Banks, Victor Leslie August 22, 1927 - February 6, 2016 As a master bricklayer and proud 60-year member of Bricklayers Union Local 21, Victor left his mark on Chicago's skyline by helping construct such iconic landmarks as the Hancock Tower, the Standard Oil building, the Sears Tower and the Art Institute's Modern Wing. He loved swimming and spending time along the city's lakefront. Born in southeast London, Victor captivated friends and family with recollections of WWII and Nazi attacks during the Blitz. He recalled hiding under the kitchen table during air raids when the backyard Anderson shelter was full and carrying out fire-watch duties because of dangerous incendiary bombs. In 1945, he enlisted in the Royal Navy, working on an aircraft carrier near Scotland. After the war, Victor met his wife, Paula Zyto, at a dance. Paula, a Holocaust survivor, convinced him to sell his motorcycle and purchase boat tickets to America on the RMS Georgic. After a short stay in Canada, the couple arrived in Chicago in 1954 on a Greyhound bus, finding work their first day. A renaissance man, Victor resumed his education and took night classes in Russian, German and French languages and literature. He enjoyed storytelling, singing, and reciting poems like Percy Shelley's lines "Rarely, rarely, comest thou, Spirit of Delight!" Victor and his wife lived for almost 50 years in their Chicago brick bungalow where they raised six children. During his last years, Victor resided in Oak Park with his gracious caregiver, Lily. Victor's warmth and inspiration will be greatly missed by his family: Michael (Andrea), Judy (James) Patterson, Monica (Robert) Zinn, Ben (Asami Imai) and Victor Jr. (Linda Dare); his nine grandchildren; and his sister, Joyce Harrison, and her family in England. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife and son, David.