Elaine Hancock

ELAINE G. HANCOCK Elaine Graham Hancock, 93, died on Thursday, October 15, 2015. A resident of Tupelo since 1943, she was born in Columbus, MS, February 26, 1922, to Josiah Merle and Theresa Elaine Graham. She was graduated from Okolona High School and attended M.S.C.W. She was married to Lawrence Doyce Hancock on April 2, 1943. She served as a strong supporter through the years as her husband built his businesses and real estate holdings in Tupelo and Florida. She also worked to establish the Hancock Foundation, Global Outreach International, and to support many far reaching charitable organizations. She and her husband were generous supporters of the Tupelo Public Schools and the North Mississippi Medical Center. She was perhaps best known for her floral arranging talents. For forty-six years, she grew and arranged the flowers for Sunday services and special occasions at Harrisburg Baptist Church, where she had been a member since 1946. Through the years, she also designed numerous pieces of needlework. Her family most treasures the individual Christmas stockings that she made for each family member. A gifted cook, her homemade rolls, coffee cakes, and chocolate pies became her signature treats for special occasions. Generous, loving, and witty, she always looked for the positive in every situation. In 1992, she and Mr. Hancock received the Co-Outstanding Citizens Award during the Tupelo Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball. They also served as Grand Marshals of the 1996 Tupelo Christmas Parade. She was named "Philanthropist of the Year" by the Mississippi Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2009. Survivors include her children, Doyce Deas (Bill), Lauren Patterson (Sam), of Tupelo, Larry Hancock of Del Rio, Texas, and Janice Allen of Tupelo; her grandchildren Melanie Deas, Lawrence Deas (Stacy), Meredith Tollison (Chris), Samantha Fikes (Craig), Hardin Patterson, Catherine McMahan (Jeremy), Carrie Hancock, Graham Hancock and their mother, Helen, Jessica Roberson (Joe), Jennifer Allen, and Jacquelyn Allen; great-grandchildren William and Mason Deas, Connor Tollison, Taylor and Garmon Fikes, Caleb and Ella McMahan, Bailey Kennedy and Katelyn Roberson; sisters-in-law Theresa Kilgore (James) of Tupelo and Odessa Clayton of Montgomery, Ala. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, L. D. Hancock, on October 5, 1998; a great-grandchild, Samuel Fikes; and her aunt, Frances (Jack) McGill. The family would like to thank her special caregivers Nell Baker, Leigh Barnett, Willie Humphrey, Ethel Jones, and Barbara Sellars. Visitation will be at Harrisburg Baptist Church on Sunday, October 18, from 5 pm until 8 pm. A memorial service will be held at Harrisburg Baptist Church on Monday, October 19, 11 am. Donations may be made to Harrisburg Baptist Church, 4675 Cliff Gookin, Tupelo 38801; Global Outreach International, P. O. Box 1, Tupelo, 38802; or a charity of your choice. Expressions of sympathy may be left at www.peguesfuneralhome.com