James Howard 'Jim' 'Governor' Hancock

(October 22, 1940 ~ January 16, 2025)

Jim, son of Allen Charles Hancock and Catherine Ruth Flemming, married to Marie Jeanne Ferrari.  Cremation was chosen and his ashes interred somewhere among the granite in Yosemite’s high country.

Jim Hancock died in San Rafael, California on January 16, 2025.

Jim was born at home on October 22, 1940 and grew up near Lawn, Texas.  He was graduated from Jim Ned High School in 1959.  He began his education at Texas A&M and later earned an undergraduate and a graduate degree from Golden Gate University.  The Army sent him to San Francisco in 1963 where he later met Marie Ferrari, a fourth generation San Franciscan.  Jim and Marie were married in 1965.  They lived in San Francisco until 1983 when Jim’s job took them to Dallas.  In 1984, his job took them back to California.  They settled in San Rafael, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, where they lived for the rest of his life.  Jim spent 35 years working as a business analyst in the insurance industry.  For several years, he also was an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University. 

For many years, Jim ran several miles every day and finished three marathons as well as several dozen shorter races.  In his retirement years, he was a furniture maker, wrote more than two dozen novels, and was an officer and longtime member of Sons in Retirement.

Jim and Marie were inveterate travelers and always spent their vacations somewhere in the outdoors.  They visited Europe four times and saw many of the world’s greatest treasures including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Omaha Beach, the Magna Carta and Stonehenge.  They also visited Alaska, Hawaii, and every national park west of the Mississippi River.

For many years, they spent part of every summer backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, venturing into remote regions of Yosemite National Park.  They survived multiple encounters with bears and rattlesnakes, crossed fast flowing rivers, and were sometimes out of touch with civilization for days at a time.  Along the way, they climbed Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states, and Half Dome, the iconic rock formation in Yosemite Valley.

Jim is survived by his wife of 60 years, Marie Ferrari-Hancock, their son Aaron Hancock of Oakland, California, Aaron’s wife Maricela Ramirez and their sons Lucas and Liam.  He also is survived by his daughter Jessica Fodor of San Diego, California, her husband Christopher Fodor, and their daughters Serena and Kayla.  He was preceded in death by his brother Tyre and his sister Sandra.  He is survived by his sister Mary Black of Abilene, Texas.

A memorial mass will be said at St. Raphael’s church in San Rafael, where Jim was an active member for many years.  His ashes will be interred somewhere among the granite in Yosemite’s high country.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, 1104 Fifth Street, San Rafael, California  94901, an organization that helps families in need.