Mavis Christopher Hancock

Funeral services for Mavis Christopher Hancock will be held at 2 p.m. today at First Baptist Church in Nacogdoches with the Reverend John Withem and Dr. Allen Reed officiating. Mrs. Hancock died January 5, 2008, at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. She was born to Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Christopher June 22, 1927, in Nacogdoches. Mrs. Hancock was a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church, a membership that began as a child and where she served over the years as a Sunday school teacher, WMU leader and in almost every area of church service. She was an alumna of Nacogdoches High School and Stephen F. Austin State University. Mrs. Hancock was active politically during the 1950s as wife of a Texas legislator and later in numerous political campaigns. She co-founded Hancock Advertising Agency, a Nacogdoches marketing company, in 1973 and served as an officer of the company until 2003. She served the Nacogdoches community in numerous ways, including as a specially trained disaster volunteer with the regional office of the American Red Cross during the Nacogdoches floods of the 1970s. Her greatest legacy was her faith. She served tirelessly by her husband's side in the ministry for most of her adult life. She was a devoted and loved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Charles A. "Chuck" Hancock of Nacogdoches; a daughter and son-in-law, Deb and Bob Stewart of Nacogdoches; a son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Cindy Hancock of Nacogdoches; a daughter, Suzi Leonard of Longview; sisters, Marvis Cochran and Melva Hines of Nacogdoches; granddaughters, Allyson Clynch of Edmund, Oklahoma, Jenny Hancock of Austin and Mary Leonard of Longview; adopted grandchildren Dan Stewart of Fort Riley, Kansas, Clarinda McEntire of Bangor, Washington, Linda Camacho of Houston, Nathan Stewart of Paragould, Arkansas, and Becky Stewart of Seattle, Washington; and many nieces, nephews and adopted great-grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Al Hancock, George Hancock, Henry Summers, Lance Kitchen, Phillip Humber, Dan Stewart and James Johnson. Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Cochran, Archie Haney and the deacons of Shady Grove Baptist Church and Chireno Baptist Church. Interment will be in the Shady Grove Cemetery. The family asks that memorial donations be made to the building funds of Shady Grove Baptist Church and First Baptist Church.