Lawrence Banco

Lawrence Edward Banco, 71, of Marbletown, died Friday January 31, 2014 at his home with his family by his side. Born in Brooklyn, he was a son of the late Max & Ida Mostowski Banco. He grew up in Brooklyn, where he attended Wingate High School and then Brooklyn College. Later he received two Masters' Degrees in Education and Supervision from the City College of New York. He worked for the N.Y.C. Board of Education for 34 years, first as a Special Education Teacher, and later as a School Administrator. He retired in 2001 in order to spend more time with his family at their home in Ulster County. Larry, as he was known to almost all of his friends, did volunteer work as an Executive Board member of the Manhattan Chapter of the Retired Supervisors & Administrators. He also volunteered at the St. Benedictine Hospital Support Group in Kingston. In his spare time, Larry enjoyed playing tennis, biking, listening to music, and taking adult education classes at SUNY Ulster College and Bard College. He will be remembered by family and friends for his warmth and generosity of spirit, his sense of humor, and his incredible courage in fighting cancer for almost a decade. Larry is survived by his wife of 26 years, Sinikka Banco of Marbletown, whom he married on December 20, 1987, his son, Thomas Haywood Banco of Marbletown, his sister and brother-in-law, Arline and Phil Diamond. Two nieces, three great nephews and one great niece also survive. A Funeral Service will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2014 at 10:30 AM at the Simpson-Gaus Funeral Home, 411 Albany Ave. Interment will follow in Wiltwyck Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to: The Colon Cancer Alliance, Inc. 1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Ste. 1066, Washington, DC 20005