William Charles Hancock

William “Bill” Hancock, 94, of North Myrtle Beach, passed away on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at his home. Born on January 27, 1932, in Paterson, NJ, Bill was the son of the late William A. Hancock and Anna “Bobbie” Burneski Hancock. Bobbie and her second husband Joseph Luzzi raised Bill in his teen years.

Bill was the devoted husband of the late Loretta E. “Lori” Hancock. He married Lori in Manassas, VA in 1954 and the two were blessed with 69 years of marriage until her passing on July 8, 2024. They were the dedicated parents of William “Billy” Hancock and Cary Hancock.

Following his service in the US Army, Bill’s career included positions at Curtis Wright, Ingersoll Rand, and IBM. In 1973 IBM deployed Bill to Minot, ND as a senior manager supporting Strategic Missile Defense, the Safeguard Program. Upon completion of that deployment, Bill was re-assigned to IBM in Manassas, VA and the family moved from Bridgewater, NJ to Montclair, VA, where they resided for the next 27 years. Upon retirement, Bill became a training consultant for NASA, where he taught program courses at NASA training sites.

Bill and Lori loved traveling and visiting locations all over the world, often traveling with family and friends. Their annual spring trips to Cancun were a gathering of friends that Bill and Lori always enjoyed.

In 2002, Bill and Lori moved to the Myrtle Beach area, where they had come for a second honeymoon in 1956, joining old friends and making new ones. Card games and golf with friends were weekly events that Bill often spoke of.

Bill had a passion for golf. He started playing in the 1950s and swung his last club this past Christmas Eve, just shy of 94, a span of 70 years. Bill was an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball

fan, he cheered and watched almost every night during the season.

In 2014 Bill published his first book, “M1 Brothers”, followed by “Unfinished Business” and “End Game”, completing the M-1 Brothers trilogy. He completed one more book “Trasna” in 2018.

Bill was a member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church and a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Surviving Bill are his sons, William R. “Billy” Hancock and Cary J. Hancock, Cary’s wife Elizabeth as well as his two grandsons, Garrett Hancock and Joseph Hancock.

A prayer service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at Lee Funeral Home and Crematory with a visitation to follow until 6:00 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 1100 8th Ave. N., North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582. Entombment with military honors will follow in the niche of the church columbarium.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach, 409 Bay St, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582.

Please share memories and condolences at www.leefhandcrematory.com

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on June 12, 2026, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 1100 8th Ave N, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582, and entombment will follow in the church columbarium.