Obituary for Barbara Anne Banks-Williams (Banks)
Barbara Anne Banks-Williams was the first child of Lillie Mae (Pitt) Banks and the late William S. Banks, Sr., born on June 7, 1952, at Columbia Hospital in Washington DC. Barbara passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
Barbara was educated in the Washington, DC public school system where she attended Stevens Elementary School, Francis Junior High School, and graduated from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in 1969.
Barbara retired from the Department of Defense in July 2010, after a faithful 32 years of service as a Personnel Clerk, receiving several achievement awards during her career.
Barbara was married to Everette Williams on April 30, 2017, at Alexander Memorial Baptist Church (AMBC) in Upper Marlboro, MD. She was a proud mother of one daughter, Angela Smith, and one son, Damien Johnson.
At an early age, Barbara was baptized in January 1964 by the late Reverend Charles S. Pryor. As a servant of God, she was a member of many different AMBC ministries including Essence of Praise Dance Ministry, Seniors on the Move, Hospitality Ministry, and Media Ministry (photographer).
Before Barbara retired, she took classes to learn how to bake and decorate cakes. This became a wildly successful business, Barby’s Sweet Creations, that she continued after retirement and until her health began to decline. She had so much pleasure in baking cakes and seeing the joy it brought to so many people. Often referred to as “the cake lady,” she became an integral part of her clients’ family. She would bake cakes for their momentous occasions to include cakes such as bridal shower, wedding, baby shower, graduation, and milestone birthdays. Not only did she enjoy baking, but she also enjoyed traveling the world. She did a lot of her traveling with her cousins and the Underwater Adventure Seekers, a DC Black Scuba diving group. She visited places like Dominica, Fiji, Philippines, Turks and Caicos, Belize, Malaysia, and Saba. She also visited non-diving locations with her family and friends to include Austin TX, Myrtle Beach, Disney World, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Dubai, Zambia (Africa) and many other fabulous places.
Barbara was a great lover of music and her massive album collection proved as such. She enjoyed going to various music venues such as the Howard Theater and the Birchmere to see her favorite music artists and groups.
Some of Barbara’s other hobbies were sewing, which she often sewed clothes for others, photography, and gardening. She loved plants and often would take it upon herself to prune the plants in the church or others to make sure they were in good shape. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and attending any of their events.
Barbara is preceded in death by her father, William S. Banks, Sr., sister, LaVerne (Banks) Jones, grandmother, Frances Banks, her aunts, Lula Boatwright, Carrie Mae Pitt and Lula Mae (Pitt) Johnson and uncles, Robert Banks and Lindbergh(?) Pitt.
Barbara leaves to celebrate her life and cherish her legacy, her beloved mother, Lillie Mae Banks; devoted husband, Everette Williams; beloved daughter, Angela Smith (Corey Smith, Sr.), beloved son, Damien Johnson; beloved grandchildren, Corey Smith, Jr., Mikayla Smith, Kendrah Smith, and Jabari Smith; brother, William S. Banks, Jr.; sister-in- laws, Lillie Faison, Linda Williams, and Patricia Freeman; brother-in- laws John Williams and Jesse Williams (Clarice Williams); niece, Yolanda Denise Banks; great-nephew, Evan Kinard; aunts, Mary Johnson, Charlotte Thomas, Gladys Stewart, uncle Richard Banks (Elizabeth Banks); and a host of other family and friends.
Barbara was educated in the Washington, DC public school system where she attended Stevens Elementary School, Francis Junior High School, and graduated from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in 1969.
Barbara retired from the Department of Defense in July 2010, after a faithful 32 years of service as a Personnel Clerk, receiving several achievement awards during her career.
Barbara was married to Everette Williams on April 30, 2017, at Alexander Memorial Baptist Church (AMBC) in Upper Marlboro, MD. She was a proud mother of one daughter, Angela Smith, and one son, Damien Johnson.
At an early age, Barbara was baptized in January 1964 by the late Reverend Charles S. Pryor. As a servant of God, she was a member of many different AMBC ministries including Essence of Praise Dance Ministry, Seniors on the Move, Hospitality Ministry, and Media Ministry (photographer).
Before Barbara retired, she took classes to learn how to bake and decorate cakes. This became a wildly successful business, Barby’s Sweet Creations, that she continued after retirement and until her health began to decline. She had so much pleasure in baking cakes and seeing the joy it brought to so many people. Often referred to as “the cake lady,” she became an integral part of her clients’ family. She would bake cakes for their momentous occasions to include cakes such as bridal shower, wedding, baby shower, graduation, and milestone birthdays. Not only did she enjoy baking, but she also enjoyed traveling the world. She did a lot of her traveling with her cousins and the Underwater Adventure Seekers, a DC Black Scuba diving group. She visited places like Dominica, Fiji, Philippines, Turks and Caicos, Belize, Malaysia, and Saba. She also visited non-diving locations with her family and friends to include Austin TX, Myrtle Beach, Disney World, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Dubai, Zambia (Africa) and many other fabulous places.
Barbara was a great lover of music and her massive album collection proved as such. She enjoyed going to various music venues such as the Howard Theater and the Birchmere to see her favorite music artists and groups.
Some of Barbara’s other hobbies were sewing, which she often sewed clothes for others, photography, and gardening. She loved plants and often would take it upon herself to prune the plants in the church or others to make sure they were in good shape. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and attending any of their events.
Barbara is preceded in death by her father, William S. Banks, Sr., sister, LaVerne (Banks) Jones, grandmother, Frances Banks, her aunts, Lula Boatwright, Carrie Mae Pitt and Lula Mae (Pitt) Johnson and uncles, Robert Banks and Lindbergh(?) Pitt.
Barbara leaves to celebrate her life and cherish her legacy, her beloved mother, Lillie Mae Banks; devoted husband, Everette Williams; beloved daughter, Angela Smith (Corey Smith, Sr.), beloved son, Damien Johnson; beloved grandchildren, Corey Smith, Jr., Mikayla Smith, Kendrah Smith, and Jabari Smith; brother, William S. Banks, Jr.; sister-in- laws, Lillie Faison, Linda Williams, and Patricia Freeman; brother-in- laws John Williams and Jesse Williams (Clarice Williams); niece, Yolanda Denise Banks; great-nephew, Evan Kinard; aunts, Mary Johnson, Charlotte Thomas, Gladys Stewart, uncle Richard Banks (Elizabeth Banks); and a host of other family and friends.