Douglas H. Banker

Douglas H. Banker

Douglas H. Banker passed away on April 16th from complications of pneumonia. Loving husband of 65 years to Sarah Griffin Banker, father of Alexander (Skippy), Jean (John Miottel) and Abigail (David Lieber) and grandfather of Carter, Sarah, Henry Lieber, Woody Miottel, Lila, Annatie Miottel and Travis Lieber. A longtime resident of New York City and Garrison, NY, Doug was born in Rye, NY and grew up in Greenwich, CT. He was predeceased by brothers Vincent C. (Bindy) Banker, Peter A. Banker and David L. Banker.

Doug attended Phillips Exeter Academy, Yale University and Harvard Business School. Doug’s professional career included stints as an investment analyst at Reynolds & Co., founding member of the Ipex Group, a private equity firm, and Chairman of R.W Pressprich. An avid gardener and conservation advocate, Doug was a founder and served as President of the Hudson Highlands Land Trust. As President, Doug executed 25 conservation easements that HHLT entered into in its first decade of existence, totaling over 677 acres of protected land, including the North Redoubt Historic and Nature Preserve.

Doug’s passion was music. A proud member of the Yale Whiffenpoofs, he was an active member of the St. Phillips Church Choir and Highlands Choral Society for close to 40 years. Over the course of his life, he created and performed a series of musical “evenings”, including an evening of World War I music and poetry, the Art Songs of Charles Ives, a theatre adaptation of Steven Vincent Benet’s John Brown’s Body, a Yip Harburg evening, a Rogers and Hart evening and a Gershwin evening. These evenings of narrative history and song were presented at the Century Association, the New York Historical Society, the Newport Music Festival, the Depot Theater in Garrison and other benefits in the New York Area. He was known to break into song at any time or place and his voice will be missed by all who heard it.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Hudson Highlands Land Trust or the Highlands Chapel Society.

Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of Clinton Funeral Home- Cold Spring.,