The King’s School is continuing its care and prayer for Bernie Banton's family after 80 senior school students formed a guard of honour at yesterday's State funeral for the respected asbestos disease campaigner.
Mr Banton's stepson Dean, had been a student at The Kings School for 10 years, finishing his HSC only in the last month, as the health of the only father he had known since he was a toddler was growing worse.
As The King’s School principal, Dr Timothy Hawkes and chaplain, the Rev Stephen Edwards comforted and prayed with Mr Banton's family on the morning of his passing, his wife Karen had asked them to select a group of senior school students to form the guard of honour.
Accordingly, two lines of 40 students, many of whom were from Dean's school house of Wickham, lined the aisle as Mr Banton's coffin was carried into Acer Arena, where a crowd of 2000 friends and dignitaries had gathered to remember and celebrate his life.
A number of Dean's close schoolfriends, who are now The King's School's newest "old boys', had also come to show their support.
The Banton family were well-known in the King’s School community, having visited the school’s church, Church@Kings, a number of times and attended school functions.
"Karen, Bernie and Dean would come to our church a couple of times a semester, saying "We've got our own church but we appreciate what you're doing and thought we'd come and support you’," recalls Mr Edwards.
"They would pop in to show their support for us, but it was wonderful for us also to be able to show our support for them."
How a whole community cared
Bernie and Karen Banton had an obvious and real faith, and made a positive impact on the school community, Mr Edwards recalls.
"The word that comes to me is unassuming," he says. "They were very warm, very solid stable people who got on and did what they did.
"Bernie and Karen showed a great warmth for people and they received so much back."
"There was a strong sense that God was in control, that God was looking after them, and they were very open about their faith," Mr Edwards continues.
"It was a very deep and solemn faith that I think got them through and they were wanting to pass on this faith to their friends and family."
Members of Church@Kings have been praying for the Banton family and Mr Edwards says they will continue to offer prayer and practical support.
“The entire school community has been involved in caring for the Bantons.
“From Dean’s friends to the staff to the next-door neighbours to the chaplain and headmaster, we’ve been able to minister to the family.
“Much of it wasn’t planned, it just happened because they were part of the King’s community and we loved them.”
He adds that having a church on its grounds gives the school "another avenue' to offer support to people from the school community who are going through difficult times.
"This is one of the reasons why we started the church " it's another major opportunity for pastoral support," he says.
Remembering a man of ‘deep yet simple faith’
In her address at yesterday's State funeral service, Karen Banton remembered her husband of 16 years as "a man of deep yet simple faith", and spoke with a firm assurance that her “best friend and soulmate here on earth” was with God.
"Be assured: Bernie is partying and rejoicing in heaven as I speak," she declared.
"It would be Bernie's hope that the Christian values role-modelled by him throughout his public life would lead countless others, including all his children and his grandchildren, to salvation."
She referred with fondness to the times she had seen Bernie's faith at work in their relationship, which had begun when she was newly widowed and Dean only a toddler.
"Bernie made a habit of testing God," she said, referring to his thinking as he proposed to her after their three-week courtship, as an example.
"If I responded with a "yes' immediately, our marriage made in heaven was meant to be.
"If I hesitated, or responded with a "I need a little time to think about it', then I guess I wouldn't be sharing with you today."
Mrs Banton said her husband's Christian faith had played a strong part in his campaign to help others suffering from asbestos-related illnesses, as peritoneal mesothelioma took its toll on his own health.
"I believe the Lord called Bernie according to His purpose," she said.
"Bernie used his God-given gifts to secure justice for thousands of people against the greed of a corporate giant."
Mr Banton and his family worshipped at the Essington Church Westmead, where Mr Banton's brother, the Rev Bruce Banton and his wife Maureen are pastors.
The son of an evangelist and pastor, Mr Banton had grown up in a family devoted to Christian service, his sister Grace indicated in her eulogy.
Photo: Ramon Williams
