James Kenneth "Ken" Hancock

James Kenneth “Ken” Hancock passed away on Saturday, May 6th at his home after battling multiple chronic medical issues over the past years. He is at rest. He was a loving husband to his wife, Susan “Sue” Hancock and the proud papa of two sons and his daughters-in-law.

Born in Lubbock, TX to Kenneth Douglas Hancock, Jr. and Lyndall Stringfellow Hancock, Kenneth was the youngest of 3 children, the baby, the only boy. He graduated from Monterrey High School and attended Texas Tech to which he pledged his life-long dedication as his sports teams, for better or worse. Tech is where he met his red-headed love, Susan.

As a youngster starting at age 12, Kenneth worked with his father in their family business, Hancock’s Fire Equipment and later started his own firm of CO-2 Gas Sales in Lubbock. Upon finishing his formal education at Texas Tech, he took a position with Grinnell Fire Protection Co., and he and Sue moved to Providence, RI and Rehoboth, MA where he continued what would be his life-long career in fire protection. His education and training in engineering, marketing and his innate ability in sales led him to positions with Grinnell, Fire Check Inc., American Automatic Sprinkler and finally back to Grinnell as District General Manager in San Antonio. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards such as the Excellence in Construction from the South Texas Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors working with Spaw Glass Contractors, Metropolitan Contracting Co. and Lyda Constructors, Inc. He was acknowledged by the American Fire Sprinkler Ass’n and the National Fire Protection Ass’n for Safety Excellence and Dedicated Service. During his years in fire protection, the major portion of his time was related to contract closures and contract administration. He was one of the most successful salesman in the field, being honored numerous years with top sales awards and recognition. He served on the Texas State Joint Committee to the Insurance Board of Fire Protection as a Subcommittee Chair. His professional affiliations included the National Fire Protection Ass’n, the American Fire Protection Ass’n and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.

But more important than all the awards and recognition, he loved and was most proud of his sons, Doug and Scott and he felt blessed with two wonderful “daughters” in Bee and Chasity. Kenneth was a side-line soccer and T-ball coach at St. Francis Episcopal School in Houston. He was the loudest voice from the dugout in CYO baseball as assistant coach in San Antonio. He was always the cheering, yelling Dad in the stands for middle and high school football games, gymnastics meets and wrestling tournaments. “Papa” Hancock became known for his vocal, boisterous support of all things related to his sons’ and their friends’ sporting events. Kenneth loved the team spirit and he loved being involved in everything from co-chairing silent auctions, wearing white overalls and banging the high-striker during St. Francis Day carnivals, feeding and driving groups of young athletes to distant cities for meets and tournaments, sharing his love for all kinds of music. He loved to fish in his early years, to bowl, to hunt, to enjoy good friends, good food, good times and good wine. He loved deeply and quietly, especially his extended family, his “outlaws”, his nieces and nephews.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents, his sister and brother-in-law, Shannon and Glenn Daughtry and sister, Rebecca Wigley, his fathers-in-law, Marvin E.Chernosky, MD. and Bennie Bell, Jr., and his brother-in-law, Marvin E. Chernosky, Jr.

Ken is survived by his wife of 53 years, his sons Kenneth Douglas Hancock III, his wife Brittney and Benjamin Scott Hancock and his wife, Chasity. Also his extended family; Jean H. Chernosky, Jay and Melinda Chernosky and their children, Debra Chernosky, MD and her children, all of Houston, Ellen and David Tippetts of Boerne and their children.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Animal Defense League of Texas; contact Ann Meyer at 210-655-1481