George A. Banks III

George A. Banks III, of Hatteras and Manteo, North Carolina, passed away on July 28, 2026, at the age of 78.  George was born on January 16, 1948, in Oriental, North Carolina, on the banks of the Neuse River, to George A. Banks Jr. and Mary Riggs Banks. Throughout his life, he proudly called four of North Carolina’s greatest small towns home: Oriental, Swansboro, Hatteras Village, and Manteo.

He graduated from Swansboro High School before attending Carolina Military Academy and Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College), where he met the love of his life, Judy Youngblood. While in college, George was a proud member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and later attended the MBA program at UNC Greensboro.

George honorably served four years in the United States Navy aboard destroyers, sailing the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Marmara, and Black Sea. Following his military service, he spent more than four decades as a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed Merchant Marine Officer. His professional career also included industrial sales before retiring from the real estate industry.

George had a lifelong love for the water and the outdoors. Whether he was fishing, clamming, crabbing, or driving along the beach, he was happiest on the coast. He also enjoyed extensive international travel and treasured the experiences and friendships he made along the way.

Deeply committed to his community, George served two terms on the Outer Banks Tourism Bureau and multiple terms as a Hatteras Village Tax Trustee. He was also a former Vice President of the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Board of Directors in Rodanthe.

George was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Judy Youngblood Banks, and his parents, George A. Banks Jr. and Mary Riggs Banks. He is survived by his brother, Bill Banks, and Bill’s wife, Melissa of Holly Springs; his nieces, Julia Banks and Maggie Banks, both of Raleigh, North Carolina; his niece, Christine Y. Anderson and her husband, Bill, of Boone, North Carolina; his niece, Jennifer Y. Campbell and her husband, Alistair, of Hermosa Beach, California; and his nephew, Scott Youngblood and his wife, Tomara, of Cary, North Carolina; and six grandnieces and a grandnephew.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 422, Hatteras, NC 27943.  Please share a message of comfort with the Banks family at gallopfuneralservices.com. Gallop Funeral Services was entrusted with arrangements.