Obituary of John Tewksbury Banigan

John Tewksbury Banigan’s impact will live on after his peaceful death on July 28, 2024. At the age of 75, after a courageous battle with cancer, he died at home in New Canaan, Connecticut while surrounded by loved ones.

John was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Helen Tewksbury Neidig and William Banigan. He grew up in Dalton, Pennsylvania spending much of his time outdoors trapping and fishing. He and Gail met at age six and were high school sweethearts. In high school, John loved working as an announcer at the local radio station. After graduation, he spent one year serving as a Rotary exchange student in Bolivia traveling extensively throughout South America, becoming fluent in Spanish, and growing enamored with hispanic culture. John attended Georgetown University and earned a B.S. in International Economics from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in 1972.

John’s passion for global perspectives manifested itself in his professional career as he developed an impressive resume of senior executive positions for top international financial service companies. He began his career at Chemical Bank in New York City and moved to San Francisco before starting a thirteen year chapter of living, working, and traveling internationally in Mexico City and Hong Kong. During this period, John employed his strategic analysis and negotiation experience across Latin America and throughout Asia. John joined Verdant Power, a marine renewable energy company, in 2014 serving as CFO, CEO, and Chairman of the Board until retiring in 2022. John’s unfaltering integrity, selfless approach to management, and an ability to value the importance of relationships during business dealings were noted by his colleagues from various points throughout his career.

John’s personal interests were broad and ranged from international travel and photography to acquiring Asian art and antiques. Beyond this, John maintained an unwavering focus on building a loving family. Together with Gail, his wife of fifty-one years, they created a family that is warm and exuberant, filled with affection, laughter, and adventures. Growing up, the Banigans spent time exploring far corners of the globe. Family trips ranged from camping in the mountains of Kashmir and going on a Kenyan safari to annual summer retreats on Bailey Island in Maine to a full family reunion celebrating John and Gail’s anniversary in Manzanillo, Mexico in 2021. Survived by his wife, Gail, three daughters (Megan Shepherd-Banigan, Kara Mertz, and Jillian Stokley), and seven grandchildren (Adalynne Mertz, Amaia Mertz, Orion Shepherd, Elizabeth Shepherd, Macklin Stokley, Hudson Stokley, and Walker Stokley), John passed on his values of integrity, family, and empathy to succeeding generations. His own guiding tenets are deeply ingrained in his children and grandchildren and were visible to those who had the privilege to know him. John’s ability to value the humanity in each person, his high personal standards, and his sense of sincerity continue to shape the values of society through the family and generations he influenced and inspired.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11am on Saturday, August 31st at the Congregational Church on Park Street in New Canaan. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the church’s Pastoral Fund or Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Research for Bile Duct Cancer on his behalf.

John is being compassionately cared for by the staff at Hoyt Funeral Home, 199 Main Street, New Canaan Connecticut. www.hoytfuneralhome.com