Carol Lorraine Hancock

Carol Lorraine Kellison Hancock passed away at her home in Carmichael on October 27, 2024, held closely by her family. She was 78 years old.

Carol was born on June 14, 1946 to Zoe and Wilbur (Woody) Kellison and grew up in Sacramento and Carmichael, with her beloved sister, Bonnie. Carol married Bruce Hancock in 1972, had three boys, Brett, Craig, and Chris, and raised them in Carmichael, in the house she lived in for more than 40 years.

She graduated from El Camino High School and earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Sacramento State University. In 1968, she started working for the Sacramento County Department of Human Services as a social worker, and was instrumental in the development of the Career Connections/Job Club. Carol, along with her best friend and co-trainer Bev Pilas, helped countless people get their lives back on track with compassion, patience, and understanding. 

She retired from the Department of Human Services in 2015 and spent her time vacationing at her favorite spot in Carmel, attending protests and political rallies, and getting into trouble with her sister and friends. 

Carol fought for equality for people less fortunate, and donated her time and money to causes that she felt strongly about, like the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU, and the Sacramento Family Justice Center. She also volunteered at Women’s Empowerment where she supported women experiencing homelessness. 

A friend and former caregiver said that Carol helped her while she’d been experiencing some hardships and was feeling overwhelmed about the difficult road ahead. The friend said, “I don’t know if I can do this,” to which Carol replied, “Yes. You can.” This simple sentence spoke the truth. Carol, she said, saved her life. That is what Carol did. She made you feel heard, cared for, and understood.

She loved to tell a good anecdote, especially about her three boys, her mom, or her sister. She loved hearing your stories, too. The funnier, the better.

Carol loved to read. She devoured books, often multiple at a time. She filled her free time with mysteries, biographies, thrillers, and more. You almost never saw her without a book, and she always had a couple lying around. On the nightstand. On the coffee table. In the bathroom.

She loved to laugh. She loved listening to Motown. She loved to sing show tunes. She loved to dance to “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. She loved her friends, and they dearly loved her.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Zoe and Woody Kellison, and her stepfather Bill Morgan.

She is survived by her sister Bonnie, her sons Brett, Craig, and Chris, and their partners and spouses, her granddaughter Lily, her husband Bruce, and her partner Mike, as well as her chosen sisters Kim, Letio, and Shanise, and her chosen son Tyrone.

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Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies. I say, It’s in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It’s the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them, They say they still can’t see. I say, It’s in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Now you understand Just why my head’s not bowed. I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing, It ought to make you proud. I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need for my care.

’Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.