Obituary of Siegfried Bannat

Siegfried Bannat, of Jefferson Twp., entered into eternal rest after a valiant struggle against a long illness on February 3, 2009. He was born in Gunzen, Germany on Sept. 6, 1924, and immigrated to the US in 1934. Arriving in New York, via Ellis Island, he traveled by train to join his parents in Milwaukee, WS. The family finally moved, via West New York, to Jefferson Twp. in 1949.He had served in the Seabees (U.S. Navy Construction Battalion) during WWII, spending the majority of his service in the South Pacific. After the war he married Marie Klug Bannat a long time Jefferson Twp. Health Nurse, who predeceased him by ten years. A self educated man, he started an extremely successful plumbing, heating and excavating company that he turned over to his youngest son when he retired. His life was one of excitement and new adventures. He enjoyed raising exotic animals and birds, which included a cougar and numerous species of pheasant and South American ostriches. An excellent shot with rifle and pistol, he embarked on numerous hunting trips locally and all over the United States. His hunting adventures were capped by two big game safaris to Africa where he bagged, among other animals, an elephant and a Cape buffalo. While tracking the elephant, it charged. Siggy carried on his key ring his bullet that dropped the elephant 12 feet from his shooting position. Siggy also engaged in a variety of other sports that were more fitting to younger men. He enjoyed hang gliding, sky diving, raising horses and when he was not fishing, could be seen riding his motorcycle. He and Marie would spend their retirement winters down in Florida, returning to Jefferson to enjoy the milder spring/summer/fall months. He was especially fond of traveling and could convince Marie, in an instant, to visit their two older sons in the various domestic and foreign ports where they were stationed while in the Navy. He casually embarked on trips to Florida and California an even drove, with his younger son to hunting and fishing trips to Montana, Canada and Florida. He is survived by his three sons, Edward of Annapolis, Maryland; Steven and Lawrence both of Jefferson Township, three daughter-in-laws, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. A funeral service will be held on Saturday Feb. 7, 2009 at 10:00AM at Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Avenue, Denville, NJ www.normandean.com. Relatives and Friends and invited to visit with the family on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Please see the website to light a candle in memory of Siggy. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Pope John XXIII High School Angels Fund in Sparta, NJ.