Katharine (Banning) Sisk

Katherine Alice Banning (Kay) was born in Los Angeles to Joseph Brent Banning, Jr. and Alice Morse Banning. Kay was a happy person who loved life, family, and the many dogs she raised over the years. As a girl she loved horseback riding and adventures with her sister and cousins at her Uncle Bill Banning’s farm. After graduating from Marlboro School she attended Stanford University, where she met her future husband Dan Sisk. They married in 1954, after Kay completed her degree in Spanish and Dan finished law school. They moved to Dan’s home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico where they shared a long and happy life together. Kay embraced the Land of Enchantment and in no time at all she was making a delicious bowl of posole!

Kay was very active in civic and public service organizations. She was a member of the Albuquerque Junior League, and she enjoyed sharing time with friends in her bridge and book clubs. She was a President of the local chapter of PEO and, along with Dan, she volunteered as a driver with Meals On Wheels. A longtime member of First Presbyterian Church of Albuquerque, Kay taught Bible study and served as a Deacon. In 2014 she received her 50 Year pin.

Kay was a parent leader for her children’s Cub Scout and Girl Scout activities and devoted herself to supporting her children’s and grandchildren’s education and activities. She also enjoyed hosting innumerable family gatherings at her Albuquerque home.

She and Dan enjoyed the outdoors, taking the family on many weekend outings to camp and explore New Mexico’s scenic wonders and historic places. Kay became an accomplished fly fisherman. From Manzanares Creek in the Pecos to the Brazos River in Rio Arriba to the Florida River in southern Colorado, Kay caught many fine trout which she often fried up for family dinners on the spot. Kay loved visiting her children and grandchildren in the various interesting places where they lived; she and Dan also enjoyed world travel, visiting all 7 continents. Among her greatest joys were spending time with grandchildren around a swimming pool, attending Isotopes games, and birdwatching at Bosque Del Apache.

Kay was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel Arthur Sisk. She is survived by her sister, Nancy Call; children, John (Mary Pat Schilly), Sarah (Alan Hamilton), Tom (Wendy Palen); and her grandchildren, Emily and Lucas, Emma and Laura, Lucinda and Elinor.

The family offers their appreciation and thanks to the wonderful caregivers at Home Instead and nurses at Armada Hospice.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, February 23, 2020, 1:30 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church, 215 Locust St. NE, Albuquerque. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the New Mexico charity of your choice.