Jack Duffy Hancock, Jr.

Duffy Hancock, born November 26, 1968, passed away on August 12, 2026. He was a man who believed some of life’s best moments were meant to be shared—with plenty of good food, a crowd of family and friends, a lot of laughter, and, whenever possible, an 80’s rock band playing in the background.

A gifted cook, Duffy loved nothing more than feeding people, especially when it meant helping a good cause. He first put his talents to work cooking a pig for Relay for Life and later cooked for the Dylan Quick Foundation, an organization that became especially near and dear to his heart. For Duffy, cooking was about much more than preparing a meal. It was a way to bring people together, serve others, and show how much he cared.

That generous spirit carried into every part of his life. Duffy has been a mechanic for as long as his family can remember. Some of what he knew was self-taught, and the rest he picked up through years of hard work and experience. Among his first jobs were George Street Service Center and Cecil’s Exxon in New Bern. For a time, he owned and operated his own lawn care business, Hancock Lawn & Landscaping, but eventually his path led him back to automotive and small engine repair. He went on to own and operate Eastern Automotive of New Bern.

Duffy was talented with his hands, but what made his work especially meaningful was the heart behind it. Over the years, there were many times when someone came to him needing a repair but simply did not have the means to pay. Duffy would help anyway, often without charging them at all. He never looked for praise or recognition for those acts of kindness. He simply saw someone in a bind and did what he could to help.

When he wasn’t working, Duffy loved racing and riding his motorbike through the woods. As a member of the NC Hare Scramble Association, he was known as one of the fastest riders on the East Coast. He loved the excitement and competition of racing and the freedom of being on a bike.
But as much as Duffy loved racing, working on engines, and cooking, nothing compared to the time he spent with the people he loved. Family vacations were among his favorite things, and as far as Duffy was concerned, the bigger the crowd, the better. He loved entertaining people, feeding them, telling stories, cutting up, and making everyone around him laugh. He was the family “comedian” and could always be counted on to bring a smile to the room.

Duffy was also a fan of 80’s rock music and, by all accounts, was quite an accomplished “air guitarist” in his own right. He knew how to have fun, and he had a way of making sure everyone around him had fun too.

He attended Union Point Church in New Bern, where he especially enjoyed the worship music, fellowship, and ministry. His church community became another place where he could experience what mattered so much to him throughout his life—people coming together, caring for one another, and sharing in something meaningful.

Duffy will be remembered for his generosity, his humor, his mechanical talents, his competitive spirit, and the countless meals he prepared and shared. More than anything, he will be remembered as a man who showed his love through what he did: fixing what was broken, feeding whoever showed up hungry, helping someone who needed a hand, gathering his family together, and making people laugh along the way.

Duffy is survived by his children, Ashley Danielle Brown, Bradley Randal Hancock and wife Alexandra, and Foster McKenzie Harrington and wife Kelsie; his mother, Evelyn Anderson; his grandchildren, Lily and Lola Brown, Brison and Braden Hancock, and Nova and Ember Harrington; his brothers, James Russel Hancock, Larry Christopher Hancock, and Lloyd Nicholas Anderson; his stepchildren, Tommy Wiggins, Holly Huffman, Katie Faulkner, Emily Faulkner, Christiana Ricci, and Antonio Ricci.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Duffy Hancock, Sr.; his grandparents, Edna Rouse Sutton and Harold Sutton and Dolly Hancock; and his son-in-law, Matthew Brown.

A celebration of Duffy’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026 at Union Point Church in New Bern. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the church. Duffy will be laid to rest at the Trenton Cemetery.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Craven County Hospice and Union Point Church for the love, support, and care shown to Duffy and his family. A special thank-you goes to his nurse, Tiffany Cranor, whose compassion, kindness, and dedication meant so much during Duffy’s final days. Her care and support will always be remembered and deeply appreciated by his family.

Those who knew Duffy will miss his laughter, his generosity, his larger-than-life personality, and undoubtedly his cooking. His was a life spent doing for others, bringing people together, and making sure there was always room for one more at the table.

Bennett Funeral & Cremation Care is honored to serve the family and friends of Jack Duffy Hancock, Jr.