Herbert Banister

Herbert “Herb” Philip Banister, age 83, of Littleton, Colorado, passed peacefully to his heavenly home on April 16, 2026, with his loving wife of nearly 58 years by his side, bringing an end to his struggles with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Herb was born on March 24, 1943, in Davenport, Iowa, to Philip and Gertrude (Peters) Banister. He was warmly welcomed by his sister Gloria, who had been fervently praying for someone to play with. The family moved to Englewood, Colorado, in 1948 where Herb grew up telling jokes, traveling, fishing, hunting, and camping. He was a drummer in the Englewood High School band, an Eagle Scout, and was known for his sense of humor and his baby-blue eyes.

He graduated from Englewood High School in 1961 and attended Southern Colorado State College in Pueblo. In 1964, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in Okinawa, Japan, and in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as part of the medical maintenance staff. After returning home, he worked for Picker X‑Ray, and while delivering supplies to the Littleton Clinic, he met the love of his life, Shirley Mumm. After a brief courtship, they married on July 6, 1968, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Littleton. They began their life of adventure on their honeymoon - camping and fishing in Wyoming - and went on to build a life filled with love, laughter, and excitement.

Herb was a hard worker with a creative spirit, which suited him well as a video engineer and producer. His work as a television engineer took him from Denver University to Davis Audio Visual, and Intermountain Video. He met many of his life-long friends and worked his way into the rest of his career in the Video Training Section of the Denver Police Training Academy. Throughout his 25 years with the Denver Police Department, he also took on countless side projects behind a video camera, working with Channel 9, Coors Brewery, and many other venues in the Denver area. “Work hard to play hard” was his motto, and he lived it fully. Whether at work, at home, or around the neighborhood, Herb was a reliable source of laughter, mischief, and good‑natured pranks. He was the life of the party wherever he went.

Adventures were many, and often included camping paired with fishing or hunting, and the occasional snowstorm. He took his family on epic road trips, covering many of the lower 48 states, parts of Canada, and even a tiny town in Alaska for lunch. Alaska continued to call and he fulfilled his dream of a hunting excursion there with a good friend, adding to his trophy collection and his circle of lifelong buddies. Later, he and Shirley went on an Alaskan cruise, where she too fell in love with “The Last Frontier.” They returned several times with their pickup and camper, and eventually took the entire family by land and sea to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Together, they visited all 50 states, most of Canada, and sailed through the Panama Canal with close friends.

Herb adored his children and made sure they were equipped to go out into the world as confident and independent problem-solvers, and to always be ready for an adventure. He willingly helped with projects big and small: making leather moccasins and Scout teepees, building homecoming floats in the driveway, video‑engineering high school musicals, and fixing just about anything. He shared his love of the outdoors, travel, and camping with his kids and later his grandkids, and he proudly passed on his hunting knowledge to anyone eager to learn. Herb was patient and enjoyed teaching what he knew and loved to others.

Community mattered to Herb. He volunteered countless hours at the schools, at the Littleton Museum, and with the Boy Scouts. At church, he served as Head Usher for many years and was on the initial committee that built the columbarium where he will be laid to rest.

Herb is survived by his wife Shirley, son Trevor (Elizabeth) Banister, daughter Laurie (Matthew) Thoma , grandchildren Andrew, Alyssa, and Julia Banister, Adam and Jeremy Thoma, sister Gloria (Charles) Mielke, brother-in-law Ronald (Susan) Mumm, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, May 15, at 11 am, followed by Interment and a Lunch Reception at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 6322 S. Lakeview Street, Littleton, CO 80120.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Holy Trinity Memorial Fund or Holy Trinity Endowment Fund.