Audrey Shaw Hancock was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England on June 5, 1931, to Thomas Arthur King Lunn and Margaret Ward Lunn. Audrey spent her early childhood in Edinburgh, Scotland, and at the age of eight, when Britain entered WWII, she was evacuated to northwest Scotland to live at Lunga House, a country estate that had been converted to an all-girls boarding school. At Lunga House, Audrey enjoyed playing field hockey, climbing trees and exploring the grounds. For much of her life, Audrey told stories of her school days, and of Mother Saint Ignatius, a nun of whom she was particularly fond.
For the rest of her life, Audrey maintained her love of Scotland and its culture, frequently breaking out her highland dance moves and sharing memories of her life there. The family home in Sun Valley, Idaho, is affectionately named Lunga House after the boarding school in Scotland.
In 1948, at the age of 17, Audrey crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary with her mother, to join her father who had settled in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1949, the family moved permanently to Seattle. While living at their home in Montlake, they took in a boarder who would soon turn out to be the love of Audrey’s life, Bob Hancock.
Bob and Audrey were wed on March 28, 1951, starting what she felt was the most important role she could play in her life: motherhood. She had a passion for children and their causes, watching over any child with empathy, joy, and regarding them as one of her own. Audrey was noted for her wisdom, patience, and warmth, so much so that her children’s friends often cited Audrey as their second mother.
Audrey was accepting and non-judgmental, allowing those around her, including her children and grandchildren, to be their true selves. Her kind and easy-going nature allowed her children their every mood, listening to them, talking with them and just being present.
Audrey and Bob made a great team. Bob credited his success as an entrepreneur and business owner to Audrey’s unyielding love and support. the early days when Bob was building his business, Avtech, she helped make ends meet by working as a preschool teacher and bus driver for Acorn Academy, a preschool serving the View Ridge, Windermere, and Laurelhurst areas. She volunteered her time and talents helping disabled children, reading to and talking with them. Throughout her life, she remained
involved with children-focused charities.
In 1973 Audrey and Bob moved to Inverness in Seattle, where they became life-long golf members of the Sand Point Country Club. They initially began as social club members in 1958 in order for their children to enjoy swimming in the summers. In their new home, Audrey and Bob grew to love golf and their community. Audrey took great pride in cultivating her large garden on the golf course.
In the early 1990s, they joined many other “snow birds” from Seattle to spend their winters in Palm Desert, California. Life in "the Desert" for Audrey and Bob meant meeting new friends, hosting family gatherings, entertaining their grandchildren, and perfecting their shared passion for golf.
Audrey will be remembered as a woman of great intelligence, keen wit, and generous spirit. She was a woman of strength who knew her own mind and spoke it without hesitation or apology. She was the kind of woman who Queen Elizabeth famously described as uniquely British: “self-disciplined, quiet, one with good-humored resolve, and who had a sense of ‘fellow-feeling,’” the latter defined as sympathy and fellowship that was on display among the British people during and after World War II. Audrey brought her deep “fellow-feeling” to America, and extended it beyond her family and friends to the broader community. One grandson described Audrey as a woman who knew no stranger, who loved unconditionally, and who
gave without reservation. She taught those around her how to live and how to love.
Audrey Shaw Hancock passed away peacefully in her home in Inverness, surrounded by her cherished family and garden, on June 13, 2020. She was 89.
Audrey was preceded in death by her husband, Robert L. Hancock. She is survived by her three children; David (Patricia) Hancock, Mary (Sigmund) White and Brian (Scharmon) Hancock. She also leaves behind her 3 beloved grandchildren; Sean White, Ryan (Robert) White and Jake Olson; 2 great-grandchildren, Lucas and Emma, and many relatives in England.
We will miss this amazing woman, Audrey, but will cherish the memory of her deeply in our hearts. Forever.
Due to health and safety concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, a celebration of Audrey’s life is being postponed. Details will be announced at a later date.
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