Retired Court of Common Pleas Judge George H. Hancher, who died Sunday, was described as a consummate gentleman, both as an attorney and later a judge, by County President Judge Thomas Doerr.

George H. Hancher, a retired Court of Common Pleas judge who was described as an old-style attorney with tremendous knowledge, has died. He was 83.

Hancher, who died Sunday night at Butler Memorial Hospital, lived in Lancaster Township.

Judge Thomas Doerr, county president judge, called Hancher the consummate gentleman, both as an attorney and later a judge.

“He was extremely well respected, not just within Butler County, but attorneys from other counties would comment about how well he ran his courtroom,” Doerr said.

According to a previous Butler Eagle article on his retirement from the bench in 2007, Hancher was born in New Castle and raised in Ellwood City, both in Lawrence County.

He graduated from a military prep school in New Jersey and earned his bachelor's degree and law degree from Cornell University in 1960 and 1963.

Hancher served three years in the U.S. Army, having been discharged in 1966 as a field artillery captain.

He then hung out a shingle in Ellwood City, where he practiced law until 1972. For the latter three years, he served as Lawrence County's first assistant district attorney.

In 1972, Hancher moved his law firm to Zelienople. He practiced there until 1996, when he was appointed judge at the county level.Before being appointed a judge, Hancher served as solicitor for various authorities, municipalities, officials and educational entities in the county and region.His wife, Darla Hancher, said he had been struggling with lung issues for some time.She said he was well respected as an attorney before becoming a judge.“He was a very good attorney,” said Darla, who also is a retired lawyer. “I know everyone admired him up at the courthouse.”She called him “fair and meticulous” in his work, both as an attorney and a judge.At home on the family farm in Lancaster Township, he enjoyed gardening, puttering around the farm and cooking.“He used to do all the cooking,” Darla said. “He was the main cook until he became sick.”She said he also enjoyed antique cars, having restored one of his beloved Packards several years ago with the help of a neighbor.“We were really hoping that in retirement, he'd be able to spend more time with the cars,” Darla said.She said she will have to get accustomed to living alone on the family's 100-acre farm, although she is glad her children live nearby.

Sarah Hancher is the judge's daughter-in-law and also a lawyer.She continues to operate out of the building in Zelienople that Hancher restored in 1972 and from which he and Darla practiced law.“I'm proud that I get to hear the many, many stories of clients he's had and the generosity he's shown,” Sarah Hancher said.Her goal is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hancher law firm in 2022 in honor of her father-in-law.“He was a one-of-a-kind guy,” Sarah Hancher said. “I was not only blessed to have him as a mentor as an attorney, but as a wonderful father-in-law and friend.”District Judge Marilyn Horan of U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, was appointed as a Common Pleas judge alongside Hancher in 1996 by then-Gov. Tom Ridge.The two also had been attorneys in Butler County simultaneously, and on occasion faced each other in court.“When we became judges, we became buddies,” Horan said. “We had to learn the same path forward, so we shared a lot of joint learning experiences together.”She said 18 months after being appointed, the friends ran unopposed for the two judge seats.In fact, Horan recalled that the two were considered synonymous on one occasion.“There were times when the tipstaffs confused us,” she recalled. “One time, he was introduced on the bench as 'Judge Horancher.'”

Horan said her friendship with Hancher influenced her outlook as a judge.“He brought a lot of wisdom and life experience to the table,” she said. “He had an insight that was very helpful to me.”Horan said she continued her friendship with Hancher and his family, but it became more difficult for them to meet for lunch after Horan began working in Pittsburgh a few years ago.“He has a wonderful family,” Horan said. “I thought the world of him.”She recalled an instance in which she asked Hancher to come see her new puppy on the way to work, as Horan lived in Butler.“I said, 'This is our puppy, named Sydney,'” Horan said. “He said, 'Oh, did I tell you we got a puppy last week and named it Sydney?'“I said, 'We spend way too much time together,'” Horan said.She agreed with Doerr that Hancher was a distinguished gentleman who left a great mark on the Butler County Courthouse.“I loved him dearly,” Horan said. “We feel the loss in our household.”The arrangements for Judge George H. Hancher are being handled by the Marshall Funeral Home in Ellwood City.