Arthur Douglas "Doug" Hancock Iii

Arthur Douglas "Doug" Hancock III - BLUFFTON, SC - Arthur Douglas "Doug" Hancock III died peacefully surrounded with love on November 19th, 2020.  He was born on June 20, 1952 in Jacksonville, FL to Jessie Friedrichs Hancock and the late Arthur Douglas “Boonie” Hancock II.  He is survived by his Mother, Jessie Hancock, his loving wife, Sandy Hopkins Hancock; two daughters, Elizabeth (Matthew) Hancock Klyn and Margaret (Zachary) Hancock Gaddis; sister, Katherine Hancock Maxwell, and many extended family members and friends who were family to Doug.

Doug moved to Bluffton in 1960 with his parents and sister. He graduated from Bluffton High School and attended the University of South Carolina and Georgia Southern University. Doug grew up and lived on the May River for 60 years and from an early age was always on the water. His love of the May River and the Lowcountry were matched by none. He worked on notable marinas throughout the Lowcountry; starting at Palmetto Bay Marina, he also helped setup Shelter Cove Marina, was the postmaster on Daufuskie Island in the 1990s, captained Melrose and Bloody Pointe Marine Transportation, was the River Pro at Oldfield Plantation, and had been Palmetto Bluff’s Marine Master from 2001 to 2009. In 2010, Doug was honored as the Admiral of the Fleet for the sixth annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival. Over the last decade, Doug continued to captain the waters of the Lowcountry through private charters.

Captain Doug embodied the spirit of Bluffton and was an anchor in the community. Doug could walk into any room and knew everyone by name. He was adored by his friends and family and will forever be remembered for his tenacious spirit, his love of the May River, Bluffton, the Lowcountry, and those near and dear to his heart. Doug was a loving man, an incredible boat captain, a friend, a mentor, and a man who left this world a better place. His spirit and memory will live on.

Due to COVID-19, a memorial service for Doug will be held at a later date in 2021 in Bluffton, SC. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Port Royal Sound Foundation, ( portroyalsoundfoundation.org ) formerly known as “Friends of the River”.