Joseph Norman Banks

Mr. Joseph Norman “Joe” Banks, 29, of Mishawaka, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 10:53 pm. He was born on March 21, 1992 in Elkhart to John A. and Reenet E. (Petersen) Banks of Elkhart.

Along with his parents, Joseph is survived by his sisters Jennifer S. Strukel of Bristol and Justine D. Adams of Elkhart; nieces and nephew Kora Quick, Meleena Strukel, Madison and Mark Adams, III, as well as his best-friend-in-the-whole-wide-world (and adventure pal) Kaylee Sell of Elkhart. Additionally, Joseph’s memory will also be cherished by a loving host of extended family, good friends and his fur babies Scooby the dog, Perseus the cat, Sephora the ssssnake and an assortment of goldfish and turtles (Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, perhaps?). At this point, we suppose we should mention the fact that Scooby is a South African Bull Mastiff that’s the size of a miniature pony. Joseph just loved taking him on walks, where Scooby would always attract a boatload of attention.  

Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Elkhart is honored to be hosting a gathering of family and friends to celebrate Joseph’s life on Tuesday, July 27 from 3-7 pm. There will be no formal service; just dress comfortably and be prepared to share your memories of Joe with others. If anything, Joseph was a huge aficionado of button down oxford shirts and bow ties (it was his “trademark” look) so if you like, wear a bowtie in his honor! (It was rumored that Scooby and Perseus even sported a bowtie from time to time.)  

Joseph was working at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics in Mishawaka at the time of his passing, but most would have recognized him as one of the staff down at yakkyd...ichik…ikyd…that really cool and hip brewery in downtown Elkhart, Iechyd Da. Joseph’s smile, gregarious character and upbeat personality earned him countless friends and acquaintances there, and he always enjoyed being amongst his “peeps”.

He was an avid gamer, growing up on Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh and also enjoyed a lifetime of creating and building things. In fact, Joseph would often help kids collect Pokemon Go! characters on their cell phones while walking Scooby in the park. He was also very well known for his appetite, and he loved to go out and eat whenever he could. He had a terrible weakness for Italian food (Olive Garden to be exact), but anything would do in a pinch. Much to the delight of his servers, Joseph was an advocate for big tips, and he loved to light up their faces with a big chunk of change if the service was good.

 Finally, we should mentioned that Joseph was also a dedicated kayak enthusiast, and he would find his “zen” when paddling the quiet waterways that are so plentiful in the Michiana area with his friends. The glint of the sun off of a wet paddle, the gentle ripple of the water and perhaps the melancholy call of a loon or a heron would be just the ticket to ease a stressed heart and mind.   

Memorial donations may be given to the Humane Society of Elkhart County. Friends are encouraged to log on to Joe’s obit page on the funeral home’s website to leave comments and memories that would be welcomed by the family.

“Our paddles, keen and bright, flashing with silver….Swift as the wild bird flies; dip, dip and swing.”

Paddle on, Joe, paddle on!

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joseph Norman Banks, please visit our floral store.