Birth date: Aug 30, 1948 Death date: Sep 4, 2022
After living with cancer for 10 years, Mike Banscher passed away at home in Annapolis on September 4, 2022, five days after turning 74. He was born and raised in southern NJ. After exploring a possible vocation to the Jesuit pries Read Obituary
Our deepest sympathies to Mike's family.
I knew Mike through his visits with my brother, John Enns. One thing I would like to say about him is that is he was one the nicest and most decent people I have known.
We shared a common interest in reading, and one of my favorite books, “All the Kings Men” by Robert Penn Warren, was also a favorite of Mike's. We would get a kick out of sharing our memories on parts of that book.
Mike is missed by us all.
Tom and Julie Enns
Our deepest sympathies to Mike's family.
I knew Mike through his visits with my brother, John Enns. One thing I would like to say about him is that is he was one the nicest and most decent people I have known.
We shared a common interest in reading, and one of my favorite books, “All the Kings Men” by Robert Penn Warren, was also a favorite of Mike's. We would get a kick out of sharing our memories on parts of that book.
Mike is missed by us all.
Tom and Julie Enns
Hi, relatives and friends of Mike Banscher. My deepest sympathy to Deirdre, Chris, Rachel, Mary, Roland, Lois, relatives and friends.
I attended the live stream of the time of sharing memories, along with my wife, daughter, and son-in-law. This is what I would have said if I been at the funeral home in person:
I would just like to share a few memories of Mike as we celebrate his life, a life well lived. As I wrote to Deirdre earlier, “I was so lucky to have met Mike some 40 years ago, randomly as a house mate in College Park, and that we stayed in touch. I always felt a special bond with Mike, and we could always talk for hours, even though we may not have been in contact for a while.” Mike was a storyteller of life experiences, and he saw the love, humor, and essence of those people and experiences. Mike was a lector at my wife's and my wedding, and he participated in many of our family events through the years. He had a big impact on me and our family.
Mike and I had a lot of conversations about religion, our loved ones, literature, politics, current events, and many other topics. In those conversations, Mike would fondly talk about Deirdre, Chris, and Rachel. He also talked fondly about times when he and his brothers Joe and Roland went on retreat during Lent, and about his sister Mary. As you may know, Mike strongly believed in social justice - he didn't just talk about it, but did it: work with the elderly, Habitat for Humanity with Roland, prison ministry, and other ministries at church. I'm sure that his interest for serving the poor was strongly influenced by his father giving the vegetables that he had not sold with his business at the end of the day to the sisters at the convent. He would talk about his father, mother, and aunt. He related a story about his aunt having a martini each day - made just a certain way. Mike taught me how to make a martinis, gin and tonics, and Manhattans. His secret: Use lots of ice.
I could go on and on about all the various stories and experiences that I had the privilege to share with Mike. These words I shared seem wholly inadequate to capture the essence of Mike that I so richly enjoyed when we were together. Mike was one of those rare friends that we have in life who are truly special. I will dearly miss him.
Celia, Mia, Jesper, and Peter join me in sending our condolences.
--John Enns
Our love and prayers are with you Deirdre and your family. We are so sorry for your loss of Mike. He was a good man and husband. Wish we could be with you at the services this weekend. Renee & Lee
Mike and I attended high school together. He was a quiet and gentle person. You always felt he would stand by you even if you were not best buddies. He had a very nice face. I sorry for you lost. May the angels surround you with comfort. Lil Bradley(Gares)
Deirdre, please accept my deepest sympathies. Mike was such a wonderful man.
My thoughts are with Rachel and family. I'm glad that I got to know Mike through the stories Rachel has shared and hope you find moments of fond memories of Mike in this difficult time.
