Sara R. Tennant Banks

Sara Rae Tennant (Miles) Banks, 85, of Williamsport, Maryland, passed away Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, at Homewood of Williamsport.

She was born May 18, 1932, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to the late Charles Elmer and Sara Tice Tennant. She moved to Shepherdstown in 1943, and then to Williamsport, Maryland, in 1954. She was married to John Richard Miles (deceased) in 1954, and later married her childhood friend, Thomas L. Banks, in 2000.

Rae graduated from Shepherdstown High School in 1950, and Shepherd College in 1953, receiving her teaching degree in Elementary Education, and did graduate work at Shippensburg and Western Maryland College. She began her teaching career at Howard Street School in Hagerstown, Maryland, then moved to Lincolnshire School and on to Fountain Rock School when it opened in 1970, retiring in 1992.

She was a charter member and current member of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Halfway, Maryland. She served as president and was a member of the Washington County Retired Teachers Association, and the Maryland State Retired Teachers Association. Rae was active in Delta Kappa Gamma, PI chapter, and served as president.

After her retirement, she volunteered at the Antietam National Battlefield for more than 20 years. She was a very active traveler, having traveled to all seven continents.

Rae is survived by her husband, Tom Banks. They met in fifth grade, and reconnected after both of their spouses died. She is also survived by a son, John R. Miles and wife, Grace, of Norfolk, Virginia; two daughters, Sara Beth Miles and partner, Dennis Ralls, of Maugansville, Maryland, and Susan Carol Delauter and partner, Roger Schlossberg, of Hagerstown; two stepdaughters, Laura Tung and husband, Hubert, of San Francisco, and Rachel Dietrich and husband, Ned; four grandchildren, Joe Padula, Sara Hoffman and husband, Brian, and Morgan Padula, and Alex Miles; six step-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Rose Anne Tennant of Shepherdstown; niece, Anne Swift and husband, Joe; and nephew, Bill Tennant.

In addition to her parents, Rae was preceded in death by her first husband, John Richard Miles; brother, Charles Tice Tennant; grandson, Jacob Miles; and stepdaughter, Deborah Brodhag.

Services were held 1 p.m. Thursday at Church of the Holy Trinity, 17805 Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown. The Rev. Kyle Powderly officiated. Private burial took place following the service at Elmwood Cemetery in Shepherdstown.

Memorial donations may be made to the Church of the Holy Trinity, 17805 Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740.

The family would like to offer a sincere thank-you to all the staff of the Evergreen Unit at Homewood of Williamsport, for their wonderful care of Rae over the last three years.

Online condolences are accepted at www.minnichfh.com.