Sandra Marlene (Hancock) Wilmot passed away peacefully on July 22, 2024 in Wilmore, Kentucky.  In her 88 years of life, she fulfilled many roles not only as mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter and wife, but also as nurse, pianist, chorister, missionary, and world explorer.  

Sandy was born in Punta Gorda, Florida in 1936 to William Shadrack Hancock and Edith Ramsey Hancock.  After graduating from Charlotte High School in 1954, she chose to attend Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky.  As an only child, her college years gave her exposure to others her age, and she quickly fell in love with Asbury, with Wilmore, and with Kentucky, and returned to live in her college town for the last twelve years of her life. After graduating from Asbury College in 1958, Sandy returned to Florida to teach music in Fort Lauderdale.  

As a dedicated life-long Methodist, Sandy soon felt a call to mission work, and moved to Karachi, Pakistan in 1959 as a single twenty-three-year-old to teach English, Physical Education, and Music at Trinity Methodist School.  Little did she know that she would stay in Karachi for nineteen years, or that she would meet her future husband, James B. Wilmot, marry him in 1961, and have all four of her children (Debra, Patricia, Frank, and William) there.  The family recalls countless adventures, trips, and experiences growing up in Karachi, and they frequently express admiration for Sandy’s independence, grace, and grit in creating such a vibrant life in Pakistan for them.

After the Islamic Revolution in 1978, Sandy, Jim and the family returned to the United States, spending a year in Ventnor, New Jersey, and then creating a home in Sherwood, Arkansas.  Sandy’s gentle demeanor, attention to detail, and nurturing ways led her to pursue nursing, and after graduating from nursing school in 1984, she worked as a Labor and Delivery RN with Baptist Health System.  She also kept busy as a member of Sylvan Hills United Methodist Church.

Sandy retired from nursing in May 2001, and shortly afterwards she and Jim moved to Dade City, Florida, to care for her aging father.  After his death in 2012, Sandy was able to fulfill her lifelong dream of returning to Wilmore, Kentucky, where she and Jim were actively involved with Wilmore United Methodist Church and with the Wesley Village community.  Her gifts as a musician were in high demand throughout her life, and she was quickly tapped as the choral director of the Wesley Village Singers.  

Sandy will be deeply missed by her friends, by the many church communities she served, and above all, by her family.  She is survived by her husband, James B. Wilmot; her four children, Debra Wilmot (Jeannie Pierce), Patricia Wilmot (Lindsey Edenfield), Frank Wilmot (Matthew Bentley), and William Wilmot (Kim); her three grandchildren, Lanzy Brazear, Willis Brazear (Katie), and Brandon Wilmot (Maddie); and her three great-grandchildren, Rhett Brazear, Colt Brazear, and Evangeline Rose Wilmot.

There will be a service at the Wilmore United Methodist Church on August 31st. Time to be determined.