Cristine "Cris" Hancock

On July 11, 2025, after a thirteen-year standoff with cancer, Cristine (“Cris”) Pope Hancock passed peacefully into eternity, surrounded by her loving family. Our lives will be dimmer without Cristine’s light, but we know it’s shining even brighter in Paradise, and we’ll have the chance to bask in it again.

Cristine was born in Ogden, Utah, on January 28, 1970, to Stephen and Caroline Pope. She graduated from Layton High School in 1988, where she joyfully danced for the drill team, serving her senior year as Drill Captain (and Mother Hen) to her beloved team of Lancelles.

After graduating, Cristine moved with her family to Tucson, Arizona, where she met her husband, Brent Hancock. They were married in the Salt Lake City, Utah LDS temple on June 1st, 1990 and over the years were blessed with five children: Taylor, Quinton, Kiara, Ryan, and Amber. During their 35-year marriage, Brent and Cristine lived in Arizona, Texas and Indiana. They eventually moved back to Vail, Arizona in 2009.

Cristine was pure sunshine and kindness, and wherever she was known, she was loved. While she was more than capable of having a good time and contributing her share of silliness and laughter to any occasion, she consistently maintained a peaceful spirit and a calm voice of reason that emanated love and acceptance to everyone around her. For her family and friends, she was always a soft place to land, but she had an unshakeable core of grit, faith, and strength that served her well through her life and health challenges.

Anyone who knew Cris was aware of her passion and gift for dance. She started dancing as a very young girl, fell deeply in love with the art, and made it a lifelong pursuit. While she never realized her dream of opening her own dance studio as a business, she did have her husband build her a dance space wherever they went, and she used it to teach free dance lessons to kids in her area. Many a grateful child was introduced to and developed an appreciation for dance through Cris’s generosity.

A devoted and valiant member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cris served with all her heart in many different callings throughout her life. She particularly enjoyed her time with the Young Women and was a good friend and great example to them of unwavering faith.

Cristine loved all living things, especially animals and children. She was a sucker for any dog, cat, bird, lizard, or fish that needed her help, and she adored her job at Sycamore Elementary School, working with children as a reading tutor.

She is survived by her husband, Brent Hancock; her children, Taylor Hancock, Quinton (Juniper) Hancock, Kiara (Josh) Vause, Ryan Hancock, and Amber Hancock. She is also survived by her parents, Stephen and Caroline Pope, and her siblings, Scott Pope, Travis Pope, and Michelle Benton. She was preceded in death by her brother, Paul Pope.

Visitation will be open from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM MST, Friday, July 18, 2025 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rincon Stake Center, 1655 S. Melpomene Way, Tucson, Arizona, 85748.

Graveside Service will be held at 12:00 PM at the Binghampton Cemetery, 4001 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona, 85718.

A Memorial Service will be held at 4:00 PM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rincon Stake Center, 1655 S. Melpomene Way. The 4:00 PM service is available via Zoom, click the link below to attend.

https://zoom.us/j/92628157473#success