Luther Martin Banner

Luther Martin (Martin) Banner died peacefully Sunday, February 3, 2019 at White Oak Manor in Burlington, NC.  He was born January 08, 1934 in Watauga County, North Carolina to the late Arthur M and Alice Combs Banner.  He was preceded in death by a son, Scotty, and 14 brothers and sisters.  He is survived by one daughter – Terri-Lynne Poppe and husband Jason, two granddaughters – Nichole and husband Tyler Pope and Shaylyn and husband Eric Laveault and their daughter Teagan Mae, his wife, Peggy Clark, sisters Charlotte Martin of Boone and Eva Nell Alexander of Newland, several sister-in-laws as well as many nieces and nephews.  He attended Cove Creek Elementary School and after graduating from Cove Creek High School in 1953, he served his country in the US army for two years serving most of that time in Germany.  Upon being honorably discharged from the Army, he attended Appalachian State Teachers College (now Appalachian State University) on a full basketball scholarship.  He received the Bachelors of Science Degree (BS) in Social Studies, Health and Physical Education in 1959.  He then began a career of teaching and coaching high school basketball for both boys and girls. His first experience began in the fall of 1959 teaching physical education and health as well as coaching basketball for boys at McNicol High School in Hollywood, Florida.  His summers were spent holding basketball camps and attending Graduate School.  After three very successful years at McNicol, he was offered the position of coaching the boys’ basketball team at Clyde A. Erwin High School in Asheville, North Carolina.  After having several championship teams at Erwin he was offered the same position by Charles D Owen High School in Swannanoa, NC.  While at Erwin, he was active in the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, and while at Owen he was involved at Beverly Hills Baptist Church.  During the summer of 1969, he worked with the Baptist Children’s Homes as the Recreational Director at their Beach House in Salter Path on the Outer Banks.  He was always an avid supporter of the Baptist Faith and the Baptist children’s Homes.  He also accepted the position of Dean of Men at Gardner-Webb College in 1969.  He later moved from that position to Dean of Students and then to Assistant Business Director.  He was a member of Boiling Springs Baptist Church where he also served as a deacon.  Martin later moved back to the mountains, first to Waynesville where he taught history and coached girls’ basketball and golf at Tuscola High School.  When he retired, he moved back to Boone where he was a member and Deacon in the Cove Creek Baptist Church which is also where he attended as a child.  He also remarried to Peggy Clark where he lived until two years ago when he moved closer to his daughter for health care reasons.  Some may remember him as a frequent early morning visitor to the McDonald’s of Boone where he enjoyed fellow shipping with many good friends.  A Memorial Service for Martin Banner will be held 11:00 o'clock Saturday, February 9, 2019 at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. Pastor Gordon Noble will officiate. The family will receive friends from 10:00 until 11:00 at the funeral home, one hour prior to the service.  In Lieu of Flowers, memorials may be sent to the Baptist Children’s Homes at their headquarters in Thomasville, NC in his memory. Online condolences may be sent to the Banner family at www.hamptonfuneralnc.com Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements. This obituary is a couretsy of Mountain City Funeral HOme.