A 1957 graduate of Greenwood High School, Dr. Hancock earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina. She later received her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership, an Ed.S., and an M.B.E. from Georgia State University and completed post-doctoral studies at Harvard University. In recognition of her accomplishments, Coker College awarded her an honorary doctorate. She was also honored as the first woman academician named an Honorary Alumnus of Clemson University in 1982 and received the Wade Woodward Award for outstanding contributions to the university, along with the Clemson Athletic Department������Ƶ�s Super Tiger Award.

Dr. Hancock devoted nearly 50 years to education as a professor, administrator, speaker, and advocate for educational reform. During her career she inspired countless students and colleagues with her commitment to excellence and her belief that education should serve both individuals and communities. A nationally recognized speaker, she delivered more than 450 speeches, seminars, and workshops in 44 states and abroad, sharing her message of leadership, service, and civic engagement.

Her expertise and leadership were recognized at the national level. In 1989, President George H. W. Bush appointed her to the Presidential Commission on Student Financial Aid, where she was the only two-year college educator in the nation to serve on the commission. In 1990 she took leave from her position at DeKalb College in Atlanta to serve as Deputy to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander.

In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Hancock as the U.S. Department of Education������Ƶ�s Regional Representative for the Southeast. In this role, she served as the Secretary of Education������Ƶ�s envoy and spokesperson, representing federal education policies and initiatives throughout the largest region of the department. She worked extensively with the administration������Ƶ�s landmark education legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act, and served for eight years in the administration.

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Hancock was President and Founding Partner of A. Hancock & Associates in Atlanta, an educational consulting and motivational speaking firm. During her 42 years in Atlanta, she was widely active in civic and community affairs and was named one of the ������Ƶ�Super 17 Citizens of Atlanta������Ƶ� by Turner Broadcasting Systems. She also received the Big Heart Award for humanitarian efforts on behalf of Georgia������Ƶ�s citizens, resolutions from both the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives for her contributions to education, and recognition as a ������Ƶ�Gracious Lady of Georgia������Ƶ� for her cultural contributions to the state.

After returning to Greenwood, Dr. Hancock remained deeply involved in her community. She served as President of the Republican Women of Greenwood County and on the Executive Board of the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women. She was also active in numerous civic and charitable organizations, including serving as Vice Chair of the Food Bank Board, Chair of the United Center Board, President of the Unit One Garden Club, a member of the State United Way Board, a member of the John de la Howe Board of Directors, a member of the Milford Manor Homeowners Board of Directors, and President of the Magnolia Cemetery Association.

A devoted woman of faith, Dr. Hancock was an active member of First Baptist Church in Greenwood, where she served as a Sunday School teacher and Chair of the Worship Committee.

In addition to her parents, Dr. Hancock was preceded in death by her brother, James William ������Ƶ�Bill������Ƶ� Hancock.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Frances Croft Hancock of Rock Hill, South Carolina; nephew James William Hancock, III of Rock Hill; niece, Deanna Katherine Hancock (Tyler Sandifer) of Arvada, Colorado, two great nephews, James Cole Hancock (Samantha) of LeMars, Iowa and Justice Lee Hancock of Rock Hill, South Carolina; great great nephew James Barrett Hancock and her cousin, Norma Woodle Hopkins of Greenwood, South Carolina.

Dr. Hancock was widely admired for her intelligence, wit, and gift for storytelling. Through her work as an educator, speaker, and public servant, she inspired generations to pursue excellence and to work for the betterment of their communities.

The family will receive friends on Monday, April 6, 2026 from 6:00PM ������Ƶ� 8:00PM at Blyth Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church in Greenwood on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 2:00PM with the Rev. John Uldrick officiating.

Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Gardens.

Memorials may be made to Connie Maxwell Children������Ƶ�s Home, 810 Maxwell Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to The First Baptist Church of Greenwood, 722 Grace Street, Greenwood, SC 29649.

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On August 13, 1945, Nancy was born the eldest of three children to Mr. and Mrs. Charles H Ingram in Waco, Texas, where her father was stationed as a flight instructor.

Nancy was a proud graduate of Coker College with a degree in religion and taught in the public school system in Special Education, Reading, and Spanish for 35 years. She was passionate about learning, and was a supportive and caring teacher to her students. If she wasn’t finding someone with whom to speak Spanish, she was learning about the flora of her region, often using her knowledge and creativity to make beautiful displays for friends and family and their special events.

She will be most remembered for the love and care she gave to her family and friends and the faithful way she served her church community. With never a harsh word to say about anyone, Nancy would strive to open doors of communication and love to anyone she met.

Nancy is survived by her mother, Mrs. Charles H. Ingram (Grace) of Greenville, SC; her son Ben Acker and his wife Andrea and grandchildren Emily May, Jake, Lizzie and Niall of Pittsboro, NC who will always know her as NeNe; daughter Carole Acker Strong and her husband, James of Portland, OR; as well as her brother Charles H. Ingram and sister Emily Ingram Bolt, both of Greenville, SC, along with many additional extended family members.

A private family service and burial will be held at Landrum Cemetery in Landrum, SC.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the ������Ƶ Institutional Advancement in Nancy Ingram Acker’s honor:

Online: /giving-form/

Mail: 300 East College Ave, Hartsville, SC 29550

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Born the third child and only daughter to C. Walton and Kitty Poole Johnson, the founders/directors of Weaverville������Ƶ�s Camp Sequoyah, Karen experienced a most unusual childhood, growing up at an outdoor adventure camp for boys where one learned practical skills, but more importantly, developed a foundational Christian, moral character. Canoeing, hiking, shooting archery, and learning Indian lore figured into her summers, but riding, jumping, and showing horses developed into a teenage passion. Young Karen was a model camper: she thrived in that social outdoor setting and, indeed, dedicated her life to carrying a torch for Christ. Busy parents let her explore the wilds of nature on her own, and sent her at a young age to experience other summer camps around the country (notably in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado), and then later to boarding school at Montreat College. There, and during her fun-filled years at Coker College in Hartsville, SC, she forged friendships that lasted a lifetime.

While working summers in the craft shop at camp, she concluded her education with a Master������Ƶ�s Degree in Physical Education at UNC Chapel Hill, writing her thesis on camping in America, then took a job teaching PE at a private school in Miami, FL. Wanderlust must have taken hold, as she soon famously sold her silver flute to buy passage to Alaska, where she lived a summer with her brother������Ƶ�s young family on the Kenai peninsula. While teaching in Raleigh, NC, she kindled a relationship with a camp counselor she������Ƶ�d met at Sequoyah, who was then teaching at NC State. She and Eustace Conway III tied the knot before God in 1960, binding a marriage that would only be undone 55 years later upon his death in 2015. After marriage Karen gave up her job to start her real career, raising four children in much the same vein as she had been raised, pushing them into the woods, sending them to summer camps, and leading them to revere and celebrate their creator. She perceived her motherly work as lifelong, remaining the biggest supporter and fan of her children and their spouses, of her 9 grandchildren, and 2 great grands, giving tirelessly and big heartedly, thereby earning the moniker Big Mom.

Before returning to her beloved mountains to spend her twilight years, she lived in Columbia, SC, then spent five decades in Gastonia, NC, where she took active part and found caring fellowship at the First Baptist Church. Her love for travel (road trips out West, then to Europe, and continuously, vicariously through her children) paired nicely with her passion for food and eating out. But she will be remembered by most for her exceptional kindness, generosity (gift giving came like breathing to her!), and open heartedness. And her letters. And her inspiring, eternal optimism, fueled by her faith. Even up into her 90������Ƶ�s, and to the very end, bed bound, blind, and mostly deaf, when asked how she was doing, she always believed she was doing ������Ƶ�Good!������Ƶ� and was so glad to see another day. She had business here to attend to, until the Lord saw fit to take her.

The family will be forever indebted to the many friends and dedicated care givers who helped us celebrate her these last years and return a fraction of the love she gave.

She is survived by her four children: sons Eustace IV, Walton, and Judson (Eunice) Conway, all of Boone, NC, and daughter Martha Norberg of Wake Forest, NC. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brothers Harold and Bill Johnson, and her daughter-in-law Betty Miller Conway. Learn more about Karen Conway������Ƶ�s life through her interviews posted on YouTube: Memories of Sequoyah with Karen Conway ������Ƶ� YouTube

Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, February 28, 2026 at Meat Camp Baptist Church with burial following at Meat Camp Baptist Church Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Meat Camp Baptist Church, 236 Meat Camp Baptist Church Rd, Boone, NC 28607, or to First Baptist Church of Gastonia, 2650 Union Rd, Gastonia, NC 28054, or to The Salvation Army of The High Country, PO Box 241148 Charlotte, NC 28224.

Online condolences may be shared at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com

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Nancy grew up in Navesink, New Jersey before traveling to attend Coker College in South Carolina. A brave and resilient soul, she traveled before finding a place for herself in Georgia. She met her husband Edward L Gray and they were married in 1984 and resided in  where they raised their son. A loving and devoted wife and mother, Nancy was as much of an advocate for her husband as he navigated the Veterans’ Affairs process for his earned benefits as she was an involved mother, volunteering at Andrew’s schools from Pre-K all the way through High School. She was intelligent and musically inclined, having played in a band during her youth and enjoying playing her 12-string guitar while she could. She was equally as creative; able to utilize her abilities to sew, bake, craft and improvise to make her home warm and inviting for family and friends alike.

She worked in the service industry, was employed at Equifax through the early 80s and served as the Youth Director of Kelly Presbyterian Church over the years. She endured multiple hardships and health issues throughout her life, but never allowed them to dampen her spirit, optimism and willing to be present and assist others to the best of her ability. She has not requested a service and simply wished to be cremated to eventually be returned to New Jersey by the sea and also where her father rests.

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A memorial service will be held at a later date according to Dial-Murray Funeral Home, Moncks Corner.

Mr. Ware was born July 28, 1952, in Homerville, GA, a son of Bennie F. Ware, Sr., and Mary Catherine Tomlinson Ware. He was a graduate of both Lord Berkeley Academy and Coker College where he played basketball throughout his collegiate career. He also loved both flower and vegetable gardening, fishing, and spending time in the outdoors in general. Mr. Ware was preceded in death by a son, Robert Jason Ware, and his brother, Bennie F. “Frankie” Ware, Jr.

Surviving are his son, Jeremy Ware of Moncks Corner; a step daughter, Mandi Warren and her husband, Travis, of Moncks Corner; a sister, Linda Mann and her husband, Wayne, of LaFayette, GA; a brother, Wayne Ware of Moncks Corner; and three grandchildren, Aubrey K. Ware, Kayleigh Warren, and Hunter Warren.

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Jean is survived by her husband of 50 years, Robert Brannon Thomas, Sr.; son, Robert ������Ƶ�Brannon������Ƶ� Thomas, Jr. (Emily), of Camden, and her sister, Mary Wilson Altman (Larry), of Lynchburg, SC.

A private family service will be held at a later date.

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Born to Lawrence Anastasi Sr and Julia Anastasi (Nugent) on October 26,1949, he briefly resided in South Philadelphia, until his family re-located to Drexel Hill. Cherished husband to wife Suzanne Burgos and (dad) to his dog and constant companion Lexi. Loving step father to Jason and Debra Lee Burgos Megahan, Britain and Nicole Burgos (Brown) and cherished ������Ƶ� Grand Pop������Ƶ� to Gabriella and Ryan Burgos.

Beloved brother to Monica Bove������Ƶ� (Anastasi) and Eugene Bove������Ƶ� and Dr Michael Anastasi and Patricia Anastasi, Uncle to Dr John Gaffney and wife Bridget Gaffney, (Grande) Jamey Gaffney and Shirley Muchmore and Sharon Nageleski (Gaffney) and husband Glen Nageleski. He was a great uncle to many other nieces and nephews.

Dr Anastasi attended St Andrew������Ƶ�s School in Drexel Hill, then Upper Darby High School when he graduated in 1967. After graduation, he then worked in the Navy Yard in Philadelphia for a year as a ship fitter trainee.

He then went on to attend Miami Dade Junior College where he studied Criminal Justice. He subsequently transferred to the University of Miami in his second year in the pre-med program. He finally transferred to a progressive college in South Carolina, Coker College majoring in biology and pre- med.

He later was accepted into the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine where he graduated June of 1976, and completed an internship in 1977. He then went into Family Medicine and opened his practice in Margate NJ, where he practiced serving the community for 43 years.

He was the Police Surgeon for the Longport, Ventnor, and Egg Harbor Township communities. In the 1990������Ƶ�s he was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania for a one year fellowship for the Quality Management Program, and was Medical Director for the Nurse Call Disease Management Program under Dr David Shulkin.

Dr Anastasi was also Medical Director for Gospel Hall Nursing Home in Longport.

He was Board Certified in Family Medicine, Sports Medicine and Geriatric������Ƶ�s, as well as certified in diving medicine in 1982.

He then joined Shore Physicians Group in 2020 where he worked for approximately two years as he transitioned his practice to the Shore Physicians Program. He then retired early in 2021.

Dr Anastasi had a passion for physical fitness and wellness, which he promoted to his patients and practiced himself. He was active in various gyms across the area including the JCC in Margate. He was active in martial arts, including kick boxing, Ju Jitsu, and was trained in Krav Maga. He was always a participant in Sunday football scrimmages.

He also participated in boxing up until December of 2025, and donated bicycles and other toys to Box for Tots.

He loved travel to the Caribbean, Mexico and various parts of the United States with his loving wife Suzanne.

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The family will welcome any who wish to attend her Celebration of Life Service on Saturday, December 20th, at 2:00 PM. The service will be graveside at Summerville Cemetery (Park’s Cemetery), 640 Boone Hill Rd., Highway 17-A South. Following the service, the family will also receive friends from 3:00 – 4:30 at the John McKissick Museum, 805 South Main Street, Summerville (right next to the stadium).

Joan was born on March 20, 1931, in , to Earl and Edelle Carter, and was the first of three children (brother, Bud and sister, Linda). She moved to  as a young girl and graduated from Kingstree High School in 1949. She also attended Coker College in , where she earned an Associate Degree in Business Education.

Joan met, fell in love with, and married John McKissick in Kingstree in June of 1952. Later that summer, because John took the job as Head Football Coach at Summerville High School, they moved to Summerville and spent the rest of their lives enjoying the warm and friendly feel of their hometown. Joan spent 30 years as a mail carrier, delivering mail all over Summerville, and she especially liked meeting and getting to know the people she served. She was actually the first female mail carrier in South Carolina and was celebrated in a parade when she retired.

Joan enjoyed reading (mostly books from Timrod Library), playing bridge with friends, and dancing (especially if she was shagging to beach music). More importantly though, she cherished the opportunities that she was given to serve her church and her community. She was a longtime member of Bethany United Methodist Church, serving as a Lay Leader, President of United Methodist Women and the Hazel Melia Circle, coordinating their Sesquicentennial Celebration, and working with a committee to compile the church history. Community activities included serving as a Dorchester School District Two School Board member, a Sculpture in the South Board member, a Preservation Society Board member, a CSU Women’s Council Board member, and as a Flowertown Garden Club member.

Joan was very active in her support of her husband’s 63 year coaching career, missing only 4 games during his tenure. She stayed busy compiling scrapbooks that chronicled each and every season and kept detailed records of his coaching career. She also coordinated the annual football banquets and parent nights, and was a founding member of the Summerville High School Hall of Fame.

Joan was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years (John McKissick), her parents (Earl and Edelle Carter), and her brother (Bud Carter). She is survived by her sister, Linda Slaughter, her daughters, Debbie Call (Rick) and Cindy McElveen (Donny), four grandchildren, Richard Call (Erika), Joe Call (Elizabeth), Kyle York (Alan), Donny McElveen, III (Katie), 9 great grandchildren, Carter, Libba, Emily, John, Mayley, Mary Carter, Gracie, Bobby, Meyers, and several nephews.

Joan loved flowers, but she also loved to support her community, so memorials may be made to the (1) Summerville High School Athletic Club, Inc. c/o McKissick Memorial Football Fund, Post Office Box 2966,  29484, (2) Timrod Library, 217 Central Avenue,  29483-6004, or a .

The family would like to express their gratitude to The Village at Summerville for the kindness and care they have given her this past year. They would also like to thank Agape (Hospice) for caring for her during the final days of her journey. Both The Village caregivers and nurses as well as the Agape team made a very difficult time more bearable.

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Funeral services will be held at 3:00 pm on Sunday, July 2, 2023 at Dillon First Baptist Church. Visitation will be held at 2:00 pm prior to the service. Burial will follow at Lake View Cemetery in Lake View, SC directed by Cooper Funeral Home.

Mrs. Ford is the daughter of the late Mary (Watson) and Charles Ray Bryant. She was a graduate of Coker College and recently attended her 50th reunion and celebrated with her Coker classmates.

Mrs. Ford worked diligently as a social worker first at the Department of Social Services of Marion and Dillon Counties for a number of years. She then worked at Saint Eugene Medical Center from 1990-2004 as a social worker where she also passionately coordinated a group of volunteers known as ������Ƶ�Helping Hands.������Ƶ� Mrs. Ford was very intentional about meeting the needs of people around her, both in the workplace and in her community.  The remainder of her social work career was completed at the Department of Social Services of Dillon where she retired in 2010. Mrs. Ford went above and beyond the duties of her job at DSS and often spent much of her personal time and resources helping children have access to things like Christmas gifts, school supplies, clothes and opportunities to attend summer camps.

Mrs. Ford was a member of First Baptist Church in Dillon, SC and she faithfully watched each Sunday Service from home once her mobility limited her ability to attend in person.

Mrs. Ford is survived by her husband, Mr. William ������Ƶ�Bill������Ƶ� Jesse Ford Jr.  They were a great team together and enjoyed 51 years of marriage.  She is survived by her son, Jess Ford of Dillon, daughter Marie Ford Rogan (Will) of Summerville, SC and her three grandsons Walt, Ike and Mac Rogan who brought her immeasurable pride and joy.  Other close family members include her sister Ann Nain of Charlotte, NC, her brother Randy Bryant of Mullins, SC, her sisters-in-law, Isla Graham (Art) of Camden, SC, Becky Duke (Jesse) of Fernandina Beach, FL, and Elaine Bryant Hayes of Fayetteville, NC, and brother-in-law Jimmy Renfrow of Lake View, SC.

Mrs. Ford also has a precious group of lifelong friends that came together in early childhood in Mullins, SC, whom named themselves, ������Ƶ�The Hens.������Ƶ� They������Ƶ�ve made a lifetime of memories together and they have always affectionately called Mary Sue ������Ƶ�the Queen������Ƶ� of the group.

Along with her parents, Mrs. Ford was preceded in death by her brother Johnny Bryant of Fayetteville, NC as well as her sister-in-law Florinette Renfrow of Lake View, SC, and brother-in-law, Arleigh Nain of Charlotte, NC.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Dillon First Baptist Church or The Gideons.

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