Services for Ruby Jo Banks (87), of Tyler, will be held on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home with Rev. Tim Brown officiating. Burial will follow at 3:00 p.m. at Gladewater Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home.
Ruby Jo Shairrick Banks, a devoted wife, beloved family member, and trailblazing professional, passed away peacefully on May 4, 2025, at the age of 87. Born on August 18, 1937, in Mount Pleasant, Texas, to Joseph Seaton Shairrick and Mildred Opal May Wright Shairrick, Ruby Jo was the eldest of four sisters, a role she carried with grace, strength, and a fierce sense of responsibility.
A proud graduate of the Class of 1954, Ruby Jo furthered her education at Business and Secretarial School, where she quickly stood out for her keen intellect and attention to detail. In 1956, she began her remarkable career as a Steno/Price Records Clerk at Chance Vought Aircraft Company, which later became Lockheed Martin. Over the years, she rose through the ranks in procurement, eventually becoming a respected Manager and the most senior female employee in the materials department at the time of her retirement — a milestone that reflected both her dedication and trailblazing spirit in a male-dominated industry.
Ruby Jo met and married the love of her life, Bob Banks. Together, they built a beautiful life grounded in faith, music, and an adventurous spirit. Their shared love of travel took them across the United States and around the world, creating memories filled with joy, laughter, and wonder.
To know Ruby Jo was to love her. Her warm spirit and quick wit made her the heart of any gathering, often entertaining friends and family with stories and jokes that left everyone smiling. She had a special knack for making people feel seen and valued.
After retirement, Ruby Jo remained as active and engaged as ever. She volunteered at the Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital, greeting visitors with kindness and warmth from the information desk. She kept her mind sharp and social circle vibrant by regularly playing mahjong and enthusiastically organizing day trips, overnight excursions, banquets, and events for the senior citizens group at First Baptist Church Whitehouse. Her extraordinary attention to detail and creative energy made every event a success.
Stylish, sophisticated, and endlessly elegant, Ruby Jo never missed a weekly hair appointment and never passed up an opportunity to uplift those around her. She brought light, laughter, and grace into every space she entered.
Ruby Jo Banks was truly one of a kind. Her legacy lives on through the lives she touched, the love she shared, and the example she set. She will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who had the privilege to know her.
Ruby is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Bob, and Sisters, Pansy Hammonds, Bonnie Maxwell, and Hilda Shairrick. She is survived by many nieces and nephews, Terry Cameron & wife Sharon (Cookville), Russell Cameron & wife Kristy (Mt. Pleasant), Sherrell Cameron & wife Tina (Mt. Pleasant), Shannon Peoples & husband Shawn (Crandall), Greg Maxwell & wife Linda of (Jacksonville), Sherri McDonald & husband Kevin (Jacksonville) Heather Eason & husband Scott (White Oak) Amber Severson & husband Jason (Wylie) Matt Maxwell & wife Brandi (Pearland). Brother-in-law, Merle Maxwell (Jacksonville), as well as special friends Kristy Denney (Bullard) and Carolyn Lovelady (Jacksonville).
Pallbearers will be Logan Reynolds, Kevin McDonald, Jonathon Hansen, Camden Plowman, Easton Plowman, Nathan Cameron, Scott Eason & Creed Young. Visitation is scheduled from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. on May 12, 2025, at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Highway, in Tyler.
