Frances Mae (Jackson) Hancock

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Frances Mae Hancock, age 80, was peacefully called home on November 3rd, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.

Frances was born April 19th, 1945, in Poughkeepsie, NY, to the late David and Lillian Jackson. She attended and graduated from Arlington High School in 1963. She was employed as an administrative assistant at IBM for 23 years until her retirement in 1995. She was married to the late Ronald Lee Hancock Sr. for 52 years. Frances was a faithful member of Beulah Baptist Church in Poughkeepsie, New York, and From the Heart Church in Raleigh, NC.

Frances was a woman with a heart as big as her family. She was known as “Mother Frances” and for her generosity, love for children, and ability to talk to anyone, anywhere, about absolutely anything—especially the Lord. Even if you only met her once, you loved her for a lifetime. Frances was a devoted Christian who didn’t just attend church—she served as a Bible study teacher, usher, and choir director. She gave without hesitation, prayed without ceasing, and loved without limits.

Frances opened her home to everyone and fostered many over the years. She was a mother not only to her seven children but to anyone who crossed her path. Cooking was one of her greatest love languages—if you were hungry, she fed you. She baked the kind of cakes people would argue over, and there was always a waitlist for her home-cooked meals. Frances never turned down a good shopping trip or a getaway to the casino with her girlfriends. She might have lost plenty of quarters along the way—actually pennies, because she loved the penny machines—but she always came home with a smile and a win or two worth bragging about.

Frances leaves to cherish her memory her six children: sons Ronald Lee Hancock Jr. of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Dante Hancock of Poughkeepsie, NY; daughters Michelle and Yasmin Hancock of Raleigh, NC, Malika Thomas of Hyde Park, NY, and Sadina Williams of New Orleans, Louisiana; 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; goddaughter Stephanie Miller of Wake Forest, NC; sister Elise White of New Kent, Virginia; sisters-in-law Margaret Jackson of Raleigh, NC, and Gail Richardson of Poughkeepsie, NY; brothers-in-law William White of New Kent, Virginia, Robert Freeman of Raleigh, NC, and John Hancock of Poughkeepsie, NY; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Frances was predeceased by her beloved husband, Ronald Lee Hancock Sr.; daughter, Saronda Hancock; grandson, Donald Singleton; parents, David and Lillian Jackson; and sisters, Lola Green, Gloria Freeman, Barbara Anderson, and Jean Whitted.

Her legacy is not just in her bloodline but in the hearts of everyone she adopted along the way. She will be deeply missed and joyfully remembered.

Public Viewing: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Thursday, November 6, 2025 at Lea Funeral Home, 2500 Poole Road, Raleigh, NC.

Funeral Service:  11:00 AM, Friday November 7, 2025 at Lea Funeral Home, 2500 Poole Road, Raleigh, NC.

Visitation:  10:30 AM - 11:00 AM, preceding the funeral service at the chapel.

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