Obituary of Joyce Reynolds Hancock

Joyce Reynolds Hancock, 91, departed this earthly life peacefully on March 27, 2023, with her family by her side.

She was born August 22, 1931, in Roanoke, VA to Floyd and Ruth Reynolds as their first and only child. Her father was an electrician with the Rural Electrification Administration causing the family to slowly migrate from Virginia westward to San Francisco where they lived briefly before returning to Virginia.

Joyce graduated from The University of Mary Washington in 1953 with a double major in Biology and Chemistry. After graduation she accepted a position in the chemistry lab at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore and began attending Middle River Baptist Church where she met the love of her life, Omar Hancock. After a brief courtship, they married and soon started their family, ultimately settling in Indialantic, Florida. 

After her two girls were school-age, she embarked on a new career of teaching and settled into Junior High Science where she was lovingly nicknamed ‘Jungle Joyce’ due to the Army-issue combat boots she would wear during field trips thru the Florida swamps. As a natural-born teacher, every moment would become a lesson in science to anyone within ear-shot.  That was true in the classroom, in public locations with friends as well as at home with family.

Upon retirement, the family moved to northern Alabama to begin the homesteading life. Here Joyce was able to considerably expand her gardening skills including a greenhouse, grape arbor, fruit trees, vegetables and unique flowers. During the winter off-season she would concentrate on her sewing, puzzles, researching and planning next summers’ gardens – but mostly planning next summers’ gardens.

She devoted much of her time and energy as a caregiver to family members, including her mother-in-law Ruth Hancock, husband Omar who had Parkinsons’ and daughter Janis with a spinal cord injury.

She was a member of Tender Loving Care Sunday school class in Chandler and Second Baptist Church in Ft Payne, AL, a Lifetime member of the Gideons Auxiliary, an Alabama Master Gardener and taught VBS and adult Sunday School classes for many years.

The last few years of Joyce’s life were a struggle as the ugly grip of dementia took hold. One by one, the memories of a beautiful life flickered and dimmed. But she never stopped absorbing the love coming from those around her.

Joyce is survived by her daughter, Elaine (Jim); granddaughter, Hayley (Kelvin); great-granddaughter, Ayla and step-great-grandson, Kelvin III along with many cousins and friends who all loved her very much.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Omar Hancock and daughter Janis Williams.

A Celebration of Joyce’s life and legacy will be held at Faith Church in Chandler, AZ on May 6, 2023 at 11:00 am. Please help us remember her with funny, inspiring, or spiritual stories that celebrate the good and blessed moments in her life.

Her legacy will carry on forever reminding us that we control our attitudes. We can choose to live a life of meaningful acts of love and service, like Christ modeled for us, and choose to Praise our Lord and Savior in ALL circumstances.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in memory of Joyce to either Faith Church of the Valley or Gideons International.