Doris Margaret (Kroesser) Hancock, 101, of Newtown, PA, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday April 5, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Vance Hancock, and daughter, Nancy (Hancock) Marx.
Doris leaves behind two of her children, Vance G. “Skip” (Barbara) Hancock and Amy Hancock Neff; her grandchildren, Christopher “Chris” R. (Jodi) Marx (#1 Grandson), and Kaylee Marie Neff; her great-grandchildren, Holly Ann Marx, and Colin Vance Marx; and many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews on both the Kroesser and Hancock sides.
Doris was born to Fidel and Mary “Maime” Kroesser on February 17th, 1924 in Philadelphia, PA. Doris was the youngest of five siblings: Marie, Fidel “Fi” (Helen) Walter (Ruth), and Violet (Al). She graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls and Pierce Jr. College in Philadelphia. She was the personal secretary for the president of an advertising agency in Philadelphia. Doris served as a hostess at the Stage Door Canteen during WWll and danced with many naval officers. She wrote to many of “our boys” overseas during the war.
She married the love of her life, Vance Hancock, on September 14th, 1946. She knew Vance from the neighborhood in Philadelphia and from the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ. Vance, of course, was one of her wartime penpals and admirers. Together they raised three children, Nancy Louise, Vance G. “Skip”, and Amy Lee, in Philadelphia, eventually moving to Fox Chase, and then to Newtown to be near her granddaughter.
She was a woman of faith and regularly attended Mass at Saint Cecilia Catholic Church in Fox Chase, Saint Frances Cabrini in Ocean City, and Saint Andrew’s in Newtown. She had many friends throughout her life and continued to collect them.
Doris always treasured her summers down the shore at her family’s home in Ocean City, NJ. There, she and all of her extended family and friends would bask in each other’s company sharing stories, laughing, playing quoits and scrabble, and enjoying cocktail parties. She and her companions would form a huge line of beach chairs in the summer sand on North Street Beach. At 16th Street Lagoon she would chat with family members and watch the tide from the bay roll in and out. She rode her bicycle into her 70’s. Doris is known to have said, “Spending summers in Ocean City was the key to my long and happy life!”
She was a loving wife, supportive mother, and always there to provide comfort without hesitation. Her nieces thought her to be like a second mother. Others say that Doris was nonjudgmental and “quite modern” despite her age. She was often sought out for her wise insight. Doris states that she had a very good, comfortable life except for the death of her daughter Nancy, 54.
By example, Doris taught her children the importance of family loyalty, love, compassion, and dedication as she encouraged them to be honest and resilient. Doris was known for her beauty inside and out, her sporty sense of style, and her love of chocolate! She demonstrated how to balance the challenges in life along with ways to find joy. Her motto in life was,”I think the most important thing is to be kind to others.”
A Celebration of Life will be held on July 3, 2025, at 12:00 PM at St. Francis Cabrini Church in Ocean City, NJ.
Donations in the name of Doris Hancock may be made to Cranaleith Spiritual Center, 13475 Proctor Rd., Philadelphia, PA 19116 or visit cranaleith.org
