Obituary of Margaret A. Hancock

Margaret A. “Maggie” (Gery) Hancock, 71, died Sunday, March 13th at Crozer Chester Medical Center after a brief illness.  She was the widow of Daniel A. Hancock who passed away in September 2019, and the mother of her infant son Sean M. Hancock who passed away in January 1993.

Born in Richmond, VA, she was the daughter of the late Lester R. and Rita Boland Gery.  She grew up in Silver Spring, MD and was a longtime Media, PA resident, living there since 1974, most recently at Lima Estates.  A special education teacher, she taught for two years in Harford County, MD and for the Delaware County Intermediate Unit for 40 years before retiring in 2014.  She was an outstanding teacher who received many commendations and formed many special friendships in her work.  She was known to visit many students’ families at home to improve her relationships with the students and families.  In later years she generously shared her expertise in special education and behavioral health, and conducted many training seminars for other teachers.

Maggie and Dan enjoyed a variety of hobbies, including music, kayaking, travelling (especially to Maine and to Seoul, South Korea), cooking (him, not her!), concerts and ballet.  Their annual Kentucky Derby Day party was the social event of the season, not to be missed. 

They enjoyed an amazing network of close, longtime friends who provided invaluable support during both Dan’s and Maggie’s illnesses.

Her family would like to thank Drs. Kenneth Liebman and Erol Veznedaroglu, and the amazing medical staff at Crozer Chester Medical Center and Global Neurosciences Institute, and Lima Estates for their kind and compassionate care.

Maggie is survived by two sisters, Leslie R. McCann of Wilmington, DE and Elizabeth H. Gery, M.D. (Richard Brennan) of New York, NY; four sisters-in-law:  Linda V. Gery of Frederick, M.D.; Jennifer Kligora (Christopher) of Rome, GA; Jessica Lo Menzo (Emanuele, M.D.) of Weston, FL; and Jacqueline Patras (Keith) of Olathe, KS; a brother-in-law:  John Hancock (Marjorie) of Collegeville, PA; her mother-in-law, Phyllis J. Hancock of Boothwyn, PA, and several nieces and nephews and two great-nephews.  In addition to her husband, son and parents, she was predeceased by a sister and brother-in-law, Ann-Marie and Joseph Friel; two brothers, Thomas J. and Michael K. Gery; and her father-in-law, George G. Hancock Jr.

Visitation: Monday, March 21^st from 6:00-8:00PM at the Minshall Shropshire-Bleyler Funeral Home, Ltd., Middletown (Rte. #352) & Knowlton Rds., Middletown Twp., Media, PA 19063, and Tuesday, March 22^nd from 10:00-10:30AM at the Church of St. Mary Magdalen, 2400 N. Providence Rd., Media, PA 19063.

Funeral Mass: Tuesday, March 22^nd at 10:30AM at the Church of St. Mary Magdalen.

Maggie's Live Stream Mass

Interment: Media Cemetery.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the GNI Neurosciences Foundation, P.O. Box 717, Pennington, NJ 08534, att: Don Damic, or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org/donatenow (Maggie Hancock fund) or 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.