Daniel L. Hancock was born 2 months early, Feb.20, 1983, in Des Moines, Iowa to parents, Joanne (Bane) and Craig Hancock. He weighed 3 lbs. 15 oz. And lost weight to 3 lbs. 7 oz. His first home was in Lamoni, Iowa. He and his mom moved to Indianola, Iowa where he started school and lived there till he was 10 years old.

Dan and his mom moved to northern Iowa at Algona in Kossuth County when he was 11 years old. His adult friend, Dwight McKay, and he fished on the east fork of the Des Moines River, learned to run the boat on the northern Iowa lakes and the river, and helped his mom’s cousin, Gary Wyatt in Minnesota at his job as county extension agent at the Minnesota State Fair. Dan had the scary experience of starting at a new school at the age of 11 where he didn’t know anyone. He made new friends and developed champion reading skills and lived without a TV in their home. In Algona he joined church at the First Congregational UCC Church and he and his mom went together on a church mission work trip to Tunica, Mississippi called a Roof for Rosie and he lived on sweet tea. In Algona, Dan got his first job, working at the Kmart. He graduated from Algona High School with the Class of 2001. His extracurricular activities included the JV golf team as a freshman and playing saxophone in the band. He excelled in math, art, and writing courses, and he taught himself how to play the guitar, and work with computers.

The next step in his short journey of life was completing an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree at Iowa Lakes Community College at Emmetsburg and Estherville in Information Technology. The next step was moving to Ames, Iowa. He decided not to work on a 4-year degree from ISU and quickly found a production job in Ames at Danfoss. He remained with the company for 16 years. He was conscientious about his work and Dan worked up the ladder at Danfoss taking classes with them and then moving to Tallahassee, Florida and doing IT work for Danfoss there. He learned about hurricane life, crazy Florida drivers and watching out for alligators on the sidewalk versus the tornadoes and deer on the roads of Iowa. Dan missed home (Iowa) and his family there and after 3 years of global Danfoss IT work in Florida, he moved back to Ames, Iowa and worked there briefly until company reorganization took his job. He helped his parents Joanne and stepdad Dwight at their farm home and by driving them to many doctor appointments.

He, sadly, passed away unexpectedly at his apartment of natural causes at the age of 43 on April 17, 2026.

Daniel was preceded in death by his beloved grandparents Robert and Anne Bane, and a grandfather he never knew Rev. Lester Hancock and a grandmother, Mardell Hancock.

Dan is so greatly missed, gone too soon, and is survived by his mother and stepfather, Joanne Bane McKay and Dwight McKay; his uncle, Al Bane of Columbia, Illinois (near St. Louis), Wyatt and Campbell, family cousins and their families, his father of Waverly, Iowa, Craig Hancock, and other relatives, cousins and friends.