Tommy Wayne Hancock Sr.

Obituary Tommy Wayne Hancock Sr., 85, passed away quietly and peacefully at his home on Harkers Island after an extended illness late in the evening of Monday, June 7, 2021. He was surrounded by his wife, children, and many of his family. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 11:00 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Harkers Island, with President Kevin M. Nelson of the Kinston Stake Presidency presiding and conducted by Bishop James A. Morris of the Harkers Island Ward. Burial will be in the Vergie Mae Cemetery on Harkers Island. The family will gather to meet with friends and family on Wednesday evening at the church from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Tommy was the fourth of ten children of Charlie and Margarette Hancock. He grew up on a family plot that included his grandfather, aunts and uncles, and dozens of cousins and close family friends. From before he could even remember he helped to support the family by working in the water with his father and brothers, and later for himself. He later joined the United States Coast Guard and advanced to the rank of Warrant Officer before retiring in 1983. His duty stations took him from all up and down the East and Gulf coasts to the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and other rivers in between. It was while stationed on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky (or the "coast of Kentucky" as he called it) that he met and married Thelma Campbell on November 21, 1958. She would follow him for the next quarter century from assignment to assignment, often doing the heavy work of securing their living quarters in each new location before they finally were able to settle back at Harkers Island as he approached retirement. Tommys marriage to Thelma was made eternal when they were sealed together in the Provo Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 12, 1973. They had five children; twins, Tony and Tracy who were stillborn, along with Tommy Wayne Jr., Terry Layne, and Tiffany Elaina. Tommy was a master mechanic who loved working on, and especially repairing, motors of all kinds as well as household appliances of every variety. In his later years, he was the neighborhood "fix-it guy" as he was always collecting old washers, dryers, and refrigerators, and then giving them away to anyone who needed one. Just as often, he would go into homes to repair appliances so they would not need to be replaced. His entire life epitomized the principle of "Christian Service" in action and in practice. Hardly a day passed that he was not involved in helping someone other than himself and his family. He volunteered for every service project he heard of, and more importantly, he sought out individuals and families who needed help and offered his time, his talents, and his means. Many, if not most, of those instances were known only to him and to those whom he blessed with his kindness. He was a lifelong and devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He held numerous positions of responsibility in local units of the church in every place that he, Thelma, and his children made a home. Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Margarette Hancock, and by his brothers Ralph, Michael, Dennis, and Telford, and by his sisters Ella Dee and Lillian (Sister), and by his grandson Joshua and granddaughter, Taylor. He is survived by his wife, Thelma and by son, Tommy Jr. and wife Cynthia, his son, Terry and wife Katrina, and by his daughter, Tiffany Nelson and husband Allen. Also surviving are his sister, June Davis, his brother Robert William (Bill) and wife Nola, and his brother Joel and wife Susan as well as his grandsons Layne, Jonathan, Tyler, Garrett, and Tommy Warren, as well as four great-grandchildren, and dozens of nieces and nephews many of whom viewed him as much a grandfather as an uncle. The family expresses their deep thanks to the friends and family who have helped so much on this journey. Your kindness will always be remembered with gratitude for your service to Tommy. Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noefs.org Arrangements by Noe Funeral Service, Inc. of Beaufort, NC. Services Visitation Wednesday June 9, 2021 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1007 Island Rd Harkers Island, NC 28531 Funeral Service Thursday June 10, 2021 11:00 AM The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1007 Island Rd Harkers Island, NC 28531