Jim Hancock, a former downtown Davenport restaurateur and community leader, died unexpectedly Monday, Nov. 17, at MercyOne-Genesis Medical Center in Davenport. He was 84.
Mr. Hancock was a young graduate of Assumption High School when he went to work in 1962 at the Italian Village Restaurant, a downtown hotspot he would later own until it closed in 1992. According to his Halligan-McCabe-DeVries obituary, he went on to a successful career selling cars at Lindquist Ford and then as a courier for Quad City Bank & Trust.
Mr. Hancock married Sharon Martens in 1961 and have shared almost 64 years together, his obituary said.
The entrepreneur also served his community through various government positions throughout his career including as a Davenport City Council alderman in the 1970s and later as a supervisor on the Scott County Board. He was on the county board for 24 years in all, including serving as its board chair from 2007 to 2009 and again in 2016.
Tributes left on his online obituary show the gratitude his friends and peers had for the “fine Irishman” and the impact he made on his community.
Paul Mulcahey, a former Rock Island County Board member and chairman, wrote: “Jim was one of the nicest men I ever knew. We met through a mutual friend, the late Bill Fennelly, and we always had a good time together!”
Former Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba wrote how the pair had been friends 75 years since their days at Sacred Heart grade school. “For over 25 years, Jim served our community with honesty, civility and was respected as a dedicated public servant by all who worked with him … rest in peace my old friend.”
Rita Vargas, the current Scott County recorder, shared her thanks for his mentorship. “I would like to express my gratitude to Jim for the guidance and support he has given me throughout the years of our public service. He will be truly missed by many …”
Funeral services and a Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Davenport. For more details, read his obituary here.
He is survived by his wife and grown children: Lisa Handy, Justin, Texas, Shelley (Greg) Pucci, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Blake (Susan) Hancock, Collierville, Tennessee, Tracy (Trish Nelson) Hancock, Davenport, and Kitty (Eric) Hippler, Urbandale, Iowa; nine grandchildren; two great-grandsons; a brother, Don Hancock, of Davenport, and many nieces and nephews.
