Joe E Banta

Joseph Edward Banta, 95, passed away on April 1, 2023, in Sharon, Connecticut. He was born on December 25, 1927, in Maplewood, New Jersey, and spent his early years in Berlin, Germany, before moving to London and eventually settling in New York City. Joe received his early education at Trinity School in Manhattan before attending Amherst College in Massachusetts. Later, he earned his master's degree from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. Following his education, Joe served his country as a member of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Germany. After his time with the CIA, Joe began a distinguished career with Morgan Guaranty Trust Company in New York. In 1954, he married Joanne Donovan, and they became fast companions, traveling the world together. They lived in Frankfurt, Germany, Milan, Italy, and eventually settled in New Providence, New Jersey. A few years later, they moved to Brooklyn Heights and enjoyed a spectacular view of the East River, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Lower Manhattan. Joe especially enjoyed his walking commute over the bridge to his job on Wall Street. Joe and Joanne lived life to the fullest, attending opera and ballet at La Scala in Milan, skiing and hiking in the Swiss and Italian Alps, setting to sea on various exotic expeditions, enjoying summers with family on Lake Champlain in Vermont, and finally, late in their travel careers, taking a memorable trip to Tanzania. Joe and Joanne settled at last in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. Joe was devoted to his family and is survived by his two sons, Ken and John, his son-in-law Tony, his daughter-in-law Susan, and his grandchildren Tess and Arlo. He was also the lucky recipient of the love and devotion of his treasured nieces and nephews. Joe was preceded in death by his wife Joanne in 2016.