Joyce Elaine Hancock

Joyce Elaine Hancock, beloved mother, grandmother, teacher, dancer, and friend, passed away peacefully on July 19, 2026, at the remarkable age of 95.

Joyce was born on January 14, 1931, to Harry Liles and Georgia Winkleman. She grew up in the Boise Valley alongside her brothers, Gene and Richard Liles. She delighted in sharing stories of her childhood, fondly recalling the many homes her family lived in as they moved throughout the rapidly growing Boise area. Her stories also recounted the many careers her father held and offered a unique glimpse into life in the 1930s and 1940s. Those tales became treasured family memories.

Joyce graduated from Boise High School in 1949 before attending Boise Junior College, where she formed many lifelong friendships that she cherished throughout her life. Years later, she was delighted to reconnect with several of those classmates when they became fellow residents in the same senior living community.

During the Korean War, Joyce proudly served as a member of the Boisettes, a group of young women who attended dances at Mountain Home Air Force Base to help boost the morale of servicemen stationed there. Her love of dancing blossomed into a lifelong passion. She completed professional training at Arthur Murray Dance Studio and became a ballroom dance instructor, teaching the waltz, cha-cha, foxtrot, and many other popular dances. She later shared that passion by offering dance lessons from the family home on Folk Drive, where countless students discovered the joy and confidence that dancing could bring.

On July 31, 1957, Joyce married James Hancock, and together they raised three children—Sheila, Casey, and Joe. They shared a loving life together until Jim's passing in 2020.

One of Joyce and Jim's greatest shared passions was their beloved cabin in McCall, Idaho. After returning to McCall to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, they were fortunate enough to secure the final leased lot in Pilgrim Cove. There, Jim built the cabin by hand—board by board and nail by nail—of course with Joyce's attentive supervision and steady encouragement.

The cabin became the heart of family life for more than five decades. It remains standing today as a testament to their dedication and love, having welcomed children, grandchildren, and generations of family gatherings.

Joyce's greatest professional calling came through early childhood education. From her home, she founded the Kit Kat Kindergarten, a beloved neighborhood preschool where she lovingly taught generations of Boise children over the course of 30 years. Her classroom was filled with laughter, learning, songs, crafts, and encouragement. She retired in 1994, leaving behind countless former students whose lives she had helped shape during their earliest years.

Joyce will be remembered for her boundless energy, her love of dancing, knitting, crocheting, and all things crafty. Her legacy lives on in the countless children she taught, the family traditions she helped create, and the love she shared throughout her 95 extraordinary years. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

A graveside service will be held Friday, July 31, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Terrace Lawn Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=9305623&fr_id=154020&pg=personal