J.  Banks Scarborough,94,passed away Thursday, October 20, 2022.

Funeral services will be Monday, Oct. 24, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Florence.  The family will receive visitors from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022 at Layton-Anderson Funeral Home, 4210 W. Palmetto Street, Florence.

Born in Lamar S.C., he was the son of the late Robert Bethea Scarborough and Pauline Beckham Scarborough.

He was married to Jo Fender Scarborough for 64 years until her death in 2012.

Banks Scarborough was well known in many circles for his leadership as a banker and many other organizations that helped to improve the lives of his fellow man.

As a young child Banks moved to Timmonsville, SC with his parents where his father was instrumental in the establishment of Pee Dee State Bank in 1932.  Following his education Banks began his career at Pee Dee State Bank eventually becoming its president and chairman.

Banks received his early education in the Timmonsville schools where he had the distinction of being a member of the public speaking club and earned a number of awards.  He was also an avid reader early in life; this habit was encouraged by his mother who gave him many books in his formative years.

Banks had a lifelong love for music; he personally enjoyed playing the saxophone and clarinet and performed in big dance & jazz bands from 1948 thru 1950. He also was an accomplished photographer and held his private pilot's license.

Banks was a 1945 graduate Carlisle Military School, with the rank of Captain, he was involved in many of the schools activities and clubs, including band, the literary society, and editor of the yearbook. He continued to be a great supporter of Carlisle until its closing in 1977. He then greatly supported its sister institution Camden Military Academy eventually becoming Chairman of the Board of Trustees for twenty-five years.

Following his graduation from Carlisle, Banks entered the University of South Carolina where he graduated in 1948 with a degree in English and Political Science. While at USC he became a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.

Following his graduation, Banks immediately began work at Pee Dee State Bank. In the following years he also graduated from the school of banking of the South and completed a Senior Bank Officers Program at Harvard Business School and participated in other fields of banking education at all levels.

Banks was an innovator as Pee Dee State Bank was early on in the computerization of records for a bank its size.  The bank employees even wrote some of  IBM's early banking software.

He was a past president of the Independent bank of SC and was president of the Young Bankers Division of the South Carolina Bankers Association.  He was a founding director and early president of the Pee Dee Chapter of the American Independent Bankers Association.  He was the second Chairman of the school of banking at the University of South Carolina.  He served as president of the Independent Bankers Association. In 1997 he was named SC Independent Banker of the year by the Independent Banks of South Carolina. He was appointed and served as a member of the board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Virginia for a 3 year term. He served as a director of the Investors National Life Insurance Company, Star Aviation, Inc. He also served with the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation.

Banks was instrumental in  bringing Oxford Textile Corporation into Timmonsville, SC. He organized the Timmonsville Development Corporation and had served as its president.

He supported education locally as well as being the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Camden Military School. He had served as a member of the board of education and Chairman of the board for Florence District 4 Schools; he served as Commissioner of the Florence-Darlington Technical College, and he was a member of the state Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education. Through the years he has been able to advocate for persons with specific Language Disabilities in these educational endeavors.

He was a life Member of the National Council of the State Garden Club. He served on  the Board of Directors of the Florence Symphony Orchestra Association. Banks was also an honorary chairman of the Florence Little Theater development campaign. He was a member of the Rotary Club in Timmonsville and then Florence. He was also a 70 year member of Benton Lodge No. 26.

He was a member of the Foresight Group which was a group of banking friends that would get together once or twice a year to discuss the economy and banking in general.

Banks had the honor of being presented with The Order of the Palmetto by Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina at the Florence Rotary Club.

Baptized into the Baptist faith, Banks began attending St. Luke Lutheran Church when he married Jo and joined St. Luke in 1948 by an affirmation of faith. As a member of St. Luke Banks saw the church move from East Palmetto St. and Railroad Ave., to King Ave., and finally to Cherokee Rd. He served many terms as a member of the church council.

Surviving are his children, Rodney "Rod" Scarborough; three daughters, Melanie "Lanie" Scarborough, Jennifer "Jenny" S. LeVine and husband Tom, Allison S Hemphill and husband Scott; grandchildren, Linsey and husband Edward, Christian and wife Jodi, Ash and wife Maya, Jeff and wife Kelly, Joel and wife Rachel, Drew and wife Molly and Justin; eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild and his special friends and caregivers, Frances Goodson  and Robert Mack.  He is preceded by a grandson, Wesley Lowder.

You are invited to sign the guestbook at www.laytonandersonfh.com