Joseph Banchero, Wine Expert, Chef, Senior-Housing Advocate

In his youth, Joseph Jerry Banchero Sr. seemed bound for a career in basketball. At 6 feet 7, he was a star athlete at Seattle's O'Dea High School.

But his stardom as an adult came as a wine merchant and award-winning barbecue chef. That he also volunteered at Southeast Seattle Senior Center secured his reputation as a leading player in Rainier Valley.

Mr. Banchero died Tuesday (July 15) of cancer. He was 60.

The Seattle native grew up helping at his father's meat market at Rainier Avenue South and Genesee Street. He graduated from O'Dea in 1955 and earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Santa Clara University in 1959.

Commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves, he retired in 1993 as a lieutenant colonel.

After college he sold insurance. But when his father, Mondo Banchero, died in 1965, he joined his brothers in the meat market. He became vice president of marketing when they incorporated as Mondo's and Sons in 1966 and moved to 4225 Rainier Ave. S. He opened the Mondo's World wine shop in 1969.

"He had a very loyal clientele," said his daughter Teri Banchero-Pilet of Seattle. "People would come in and ask his advice on wine, and it definitely became a destination, mainly by word of mouth. He was known as a knowledgeable person.

"On Wednesdays he would have a wine-education hour, where you would have different wine representatives, and people would sample wines and ask questions."

Mr. Banchero featured cheese and meats, including barbecue.

He didn't make his own wine. But he served his own sausage, meatballs and sauce at Kiwanis Club fund-raising Italian dinners and police-charity dinners. Mr. Banchero had been a deputy sheriff and a driver's license examiner in the early 1960s.

The past six years he competed in barbecue contests, including cook-offs in Kansas City and Lynchburg, Tenn. In May he persuaded Gov. Gary Locke to sanction the Washington Chicken and Ribs Barbecue Championship as a qualifying event for the Kansas City contest.

"Jerry won the Oregon State championship in 1995," said Bob Lyon of the Pacific Northwest Barbecue Association. "And there was a monster cook-off in Las Vegas last December with $40,000 in prize money. He got a team together, they drove a truck down there, and got in the top 10 in two of the categories."

Mr. Banchero's impact on the senior community also was big. He helped Southeast Seattle Senior Center purchase apartments for seniors near the service center.

"It was the retirement-community concept but for low-income people in South Seattle," said his daughter.

Other survivors include his children Shari Banchero-Lipsky of The Netherlands, Jay Banchero Jr. of Carnation, and Chris Banchero, Seattle; his mother, T. Nellie Everett, Seattle; his companion, Sarah Stanford, Seattle; his brothers, Lew Banchero of Seattle and David Banchero of Seattle; and three grandchildren.

A funeral Mass is at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Edward's Church, 4213 S. Orcas St., Seattle. Memorials may go to Southeast Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S. Holly St., Seattle, WA 98118.