John Hankey

1951 - 2015

John Evans Hankey
1951-2015
John Evans Hankey, husband, father, son, brother, scientist, painter, and lover of music, died Thursday, the 28th of May 2015, in Houston. Throughout his 63 years, John possessed an infectious joie de vivre, an enormous heart, and remarkable determination.
John was born the 8th of June 1951 to John Armitage and Martha Evans Hankey in La Jolla, California. He spent an idyllic childhood on the family's citrus and avocado farm in Pauma Valley, California with his sister, Kathie and brother, Jim. Life on Friendly Farm provided John and his siblings with space vast enough to let their imaginations run wild and instilled in them the strong principles with which John lived his life: humility, honesty, kindness, and diligence.
A precocious entrepreneur, young John E. raised a barn full of chickens and became the primary egg vendor to families in the Valley. John graduated valedictorian from Fallbrook Union High School in 1969 and went on to Stanford University, where he graduated in 1974 with a Master of Science in Geology. By virtue of a paper plane flown through the Stanford Library, he met Mary Neville from Los Angeles. They married in 1974 and set out in their red Volkswagen Squareback to Denver, Colorado, where John began work as a geologist for Exxon.
In 1976, John and Mary started up the VW again, this time moving to Kingsville where they first encountered cockroaches and the sweltering heat of South Texas. After the birth of their first daughter, the three moved to Houston in 1977. Together, John and Mary started Hankey Oil Company in 1981, bravely navigating the rocky Texas oil and gas industry landscape for over three decades. Emblematic of his unique spirit, John may have been one of the only oil men in Houston to drive a Toyota Prius when hybrid vehicles were first introduced.
John cherished his children — Martha Evans Hankey, Hillary Lockhart Hankey, and John Neville Hankey — who all now reside in California. Family adventures were the highlight of his life. Together, the family loved road trips throughout Texas, California, and many other U.S. states, as well as further journeys abroad. He looked forward to many more adventures.
To know John was to know a man filled with unbridled passion. He loved painting, gardening, and camping. Music moved him, whether that of the choir of Christ Church Cathedral or the Hightailers at Last Concert Cafe. Often deemed one of the most energetic dancers on the floor at weddings, it surprised few when John's necktie wound up around his head during the festivities.
For the last ten months, John fought a valiant battle against cancer, nobly sustaining his spirit, humor, and emotional generosity until his passing. Many thanks to the many doctors and nurses at MD Anderson, as well as to the caregivers, family, and friends who so lovingly watched over John during his illness.
We honor the departed by taking up their legacy of love and energy and carrying it forward. Let us honor John's life and his contributions with a re-dedication to living our own lives in peace and openness, grace and goodness.
The memorial service for John will be conducted at two o'clock in the afternoon on Tuesday, the 2nd of June, at Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Avenue, in Houston. In lieu of the customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be sent to MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 or via giving@mdanderson.org.