James “Bert” O’Bannon frequently drove through Bloomington to keep up with the changes his hometown was undergoing. He’d also often stop by the houses of friends and family for a chat.
Sometimes, he’d just drive by and honk.
Friends and relatives would hear the familiar beep from the street and know O’Bannon was making one of his rounds in the city he called home for nearly all of his 91 years.
If no one was home when he came by for a visit, he might leave a sign he’d been there: Friends and relatives knew, a turned over porch chair was O’Bannon’s way of saying hello.
“He loved Bloomington,” said Elizabeth Mitchell, a longtime friend and former coworker. “This was his place.”
For years, O’Bannon got a kick out of just driving through town.
“He wanted to see Bloomington, the changes,” Mitchell said. “One day he may go south, another day he’d come out here.”
Those drives became something of a ritual for family and friends. Tina Kyles, who considered O’Bannon a father figure, said one of his favorite pastimes was checking on construction projects, restaurants and neighborhood changes.
“He loved to ride through town and keep up with different landmarks and what was happening in Bloomington,” Kyles said.
That affection for his city helps explain O’Bannon’s final act.
When he died in November 2025, O’Bannon left a $2 million estate gift to the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, the largest legacy gift in the organization’s history. The money will support community causes including housing programs, the Boys & Girls Club, Second Baptist Church and the Salvation Army.
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