Obituary of Gail Banks
Anna "Gail" Banks
October 30, 2024
Gail would have turned 70 in just over a month. But she wouldn’t have wanted to make a fuss about it.
Born and raised in Summerside, Gail attended Parkside, Summerside Intermediate and PVI. Their mother Anna did the best she could to raise the Banks kids after their father Bob died when they were all children. As teenagers, Gail and Tim quickly assumed adult responsibilities and helped care for their younger siblings, Tom and Diane. Adversity and humour kept them together.
Gail was a leader among the siblings when they were kids. Even though she was not the eldest, she had a way of looking out for the others that bordered on maternal. Especially for Tim. He describes her as his “protector” during an often-challenging childhood– the kind that makes or breaks you, that forges strong bonds, and that creates even stronger personalities.
In 1976, Gail married Trent Arsenault. They settled in Summerside and started a family, welcoming their son Cain in 1977. Sadly, Trent passed away just a year later. Gail was very proud of Cain’s achievements, but even more so of his skill as a loving father. She’d raised him alone.
Gail was an avid gardener. She was always expanding beds and trying new things. She got a lot of joy from being in nature, everything about Christmas (especially gifting), and always enjoyed a lobster roll. She also loved to shop, and particularly bargain hunting. Her status in the world never mattered to her. She had a kind and friendly spirit, and her home was a welcoming place. She had many friends, including her beloved poodle sidekick, Jewel. Gail was the kind of person who could not resist feeding dogs from under the dinner table.
Her family points out that sometimes they thought she loved four-legged family better than the human kind, but they also understand that. As a child of 5 years of age, Gail conspired with Tim, just 13 months her senior, to rescue a stray German shepherd dog from the fringes of a local pig farm. They named the dog Rex, and Tim still says that Rex “saved them” and protected them.
Love was Gail’s heart. She lived in the moment, always kind yet freely willing to give someone a hard time for fun. She leaves behind loving family and friends who will miss her dearly. She was a supportive mother and mother-in-law to Renee, and a loving grandmother to Caleb and Chloe. She will be sadly missed by sisters-in-law, Carrie MacNabb (who “loved her to the moon and back”), Mirjana Banks, Linda Alexander (Rob), brothers-in-law Rod Arsenault (Pat), Gordon Arsenault (Dianne), and Barry Arsenault (Tami). Gail is predeceased by husband Trent Douglas Arsenault, sister-in-law Tracy and her husband Allan MacKenzie. Also missed by many members of the Palmer Family, friends at the Summerside registry office, great neighbours, andher life-long friend Leslie. Gail’s little sister Diane will miss the daily phone calls and the never-ending texts. Her absence will also be sadly noted by fifteen nieces and nephews.
Gail knew for over a year that an incurable condition could take her life at any moment. She greeted this awareness with peace and gladness. She simply didn’t want to make a fuss about it.
Visitation is Saturday, November 2, from 4-6 PM at the East Prince Funeral Home and Chapel, 245 Pope Road, Summerside. In lieu of flowers, donations in Gail’s memory may be made to the PEI Humane Societyhttps://peihumanesociety.com/ or the PEI Autism Societyhttps://autismsociety.pe.ca/.