PANAMA CITY, Fla. Items from the estate of Paul H. (“Billy”) Eubanks – a prominent banker and accomplished woodworking craftsman – and his surviving wife Maedelle, will be sold at an on-site auction planned for Saturday, July 26, at 1219 Marie Ann Boulevard in Panama City. Mr. Eubanks was born on Aug. 12, 1932 in Altha, Fla., near Marianna. He passed on Sept. 12, 2012.

The sale will be conducted by The Specialists of the South, Inc., based in Panama City, with internet bidding provided by LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. The auction will feature antique and vintage furniture, entertainment and hostess items, carpentry and hobby supplies, custom-built items and fine decorative accessories.

The furniture items will include an Italian rococo-style couch with two side chairs, previously owned by the Burdine family (of Burdines Department Store fame) in Miami and acquired out of their mansion home there; an Italian rococo-style glass-top table; a Drexel French-style dining room table with two leaves, chairs and a buffet (circa 1970); and a fall-front upright secretary.

Other furniture items will feature a Broyhill premier bedroom suite from the exclusive Mason de Ville Collection (circa 1967), to include a dresser with mirror, a chest of drawers, two bedside tables and a king-size bed with upholstered headboards; a carved Eastlake arm chair with upholstered back, seat and arms; a hand-painted wood-top coffee table covered with glass; an inlaid marquetry table; a variety of Victorian and Italian side chairs; and many wicker pieces.

Decorative accessories will include a wooden antique wall phone with original parts; cameras; counter-top radios from the 1040s; decorative ceiling lights from the 1960s; single and double candelabras; lamps (some ornate); Dresden porcelain; a hand-operated portable Singer sewing machine (1902); and a large copper chafing dish from the Dixie Sherman Hotel in Panama City, the city's very first skyscraper, built in 1926.

Also sold will be Lefton William and Mary figurines; Christmas serving dishes (Fritz & Floyd) and table cloths (Lenox); unique wooden serving trays with inlay marquetry images and brass gallery and handles; fine linens; gorgeous Gorham china in the discontinued Chateau Chantilly pattern (1978-81); a large pressed punch bowl with 24 cups; ladies' hats; furs; and evening bags.

Entertainment and hostess items will include a 57-piece sterling flatware set in the Joan of Arc pattern by International, first seen in 1940, in a decorative wooden storage box, plus another flatware set, this one in the Interlude pattern (1971); a 15-piece set of German Mepocoware Luster cannisters; and a lovely Andrea Sadak porcelain dessert set with server.

Mr. Eubanks's woodworking tools will include a drill press, a shaper, a lathe, a router lathe for decorative turnings, a jig saw, a planer, a table saw, a band saw, routers and sanders. His books on antique furniture, period styles and the construction of furniture will also be sold. Carpentry and hobby items will feature table leg sets, veneer sheets, decorative plastic molding, caning supplies, stained glass supplies, cornice boards, fern stands and a decorative plant cart on wheels.

Mr. Eubanks had a rich and interesting life. From childhood on, he had a strong work ethic and actually began working for pay at age 10. He sold bagged peanuts to shipyard workers, served sodas in a local drug store, delivered produce and worked in a hardware/lumber store. After two years of college he married the former Maedelle Smith and the couple relocated to Panama City.

There, Eubanks got into banking, working his way up from assistant manager to the President of First Federal Savings and Loan of Panama City. While attending a meeting of the Federal Home Loan Board in Washington, D.C., in the 1980s, he suggested the phrase “reverse mortgage” and he helped in the creation of Freddie Mae and Freddie Mac. He also met with George H. W. Bush.

Eubanks retired after 42 years in banking (including 10 years at Commercial Bank/Sun Trust). After retiring, he served as the business administrator for First Baptist Church, a job that he considered a calling. He was instrumental in building the church a sanctuary and parking garage.

The sale will get underway at 8 a.m. (CST), with a preview from 7-8 a.m. Previews will also be held the day or two prior to sale by appointment (to schedule, call The Specialists of the South at 850-785-2577). A 14 percent buyer’s premium will be applied to all purchases; all sales are final.

The Specialists of the South, Inc., has been serving the Panama City community for over 30 years. The firm specializes in a broad range of services, to include estate auctions, furniture refurbishing, interior decoration, personal property appraisals and business liquidation services. It has been named the Small Business of the Month by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.

The Specialists of the South, Inc., is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them at (850) 785-2577, or you may e-mail them at contact@sospcfl.com. To learn more, or to register for the July 26th Eubanks auction, you may log on to either site: www.SpecialistsoftheSouth.com or www.PanamaCityAuctions.com.

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