Ian Hancock Edinburgh Hanks

Nov. 20, 1981 – Dec. 23, 2011

Ian Hanks, 30, died Friday, December 23, in Austin. He leaves with us a legacy of friendship, love, and passion. We, your family and many friends from around the world, are better for knowing you, Ian, and we will miss you with all of our heart for the rest of our lives. You have set a high standard for exactly how to live and love, and we are indebted to you forever.

Ian was conceived in Edinburgh, Scotland. He spent his first seven months in his mother's womb there, and then traveled to Austin, Texas to begin his life here on Earth. He grew up in Tarrytown, attended Casis Elementary School and then entered the wonderful, nurturing environment at St. Stephen's Episcopal School as a sixth grader, where the foundation for many of his lifelong friendships was established.

As an 11th grader, Ian developed lymphoma. At the time of his diagnosis, he was traveling with his father in Hungary on an antiques buying trip. From that day forward, his life transformed and he became a messenger of love and living in the moment, because he realized--as few of us do--just how fragile life is and how wonderful each day can be.

Ian survived lymphoma, graduated with honors from St. Stephen's and then graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He wished to learn and master only one topic—how to experience life in a meaningful way. As a Wesleyan sophomore, he was blessed to discover his life's passion—China. He graduated with a degree in East Asian Studies and was selected as a Princeton in Asia scholar. He worked as a consultant in Shanghai with Tractus Asia, a management consulting firm. During his time at Wesleyan and for all these years afterward, he has lived and breathed his adopted country and culture. He became the most fluent Mandarin speaking American that anyone knows.

After graduation, Ian lived for three years in Shanghai, then a year in Hong Kong, and finally three more years in Hangzhou, his favorite city in China. In Hangzhou, he met the love of his life, Sandra. For the past two years, Sandra and Ian have spent every moment together and we—their family and friends—can say without reservation that they are the two happiest lovers we have ever beheld. We are all so happy that Ian found the true love of his life, something we are all searching to experience.

While in Hangzhou, Ian and his brother Roger founded Hanks Brothers Chinese Trading Company. Over the years, he, Roger, and Sandra provided life-saving heart surgery for seven Chinese school children through Project Hope. To donate to this charity, see www.hanksbrothers.com/collections/charity.

During Christmas 2005, Ian was diagnosed with astrocytoma, a form of brain cancer that is not curable. Through his ordeal, which included various forms of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, Ian lived in the moment. He woke up every day during the past six years in China determined to have another great day. We feel confident that he enjoyed every single one.

In fact, we who know Ian so well hold the common belief that we have had the joy and comfort of knowing the most remarkable person we will ever know. His wisdom and compassion give each of us a glimpse into how to really live life. For a peek into Ian's world, see his recent China blog: http://ianhanks.blogspot.com/

Ian is survived by the most remarkable woman in the world, his wife Sandra Hanks; his mother Janice Hanks; his father, Whit Hanks; his brother, Roger Hanks; his sister, Louise Hanks; his grandmother, Lucy Hanks; his other mother, Tita Dueñas, and hundreds and hundreds of loved ones from all over the world.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2011 at St. Stephen's Episcopal School Chapel, 6500 St. Stephen's Dr., Austin, followed by a graveside ceremony at Oakwood Cemetery. A reception will follow at Ian's home.