Dan Bancroft Obituary, Death – Daniel A. ‘Dan’ Bancroft, a York, Maine retired lawyer and writer died at 72. Dan Bancroft drowned while swimming in the ocean off York Harbor Beach on Friday afternoon, January 13, 2023, according to report. According to Deputy Police Chief Steven Spofford, Bancroft drowned on Friday while swimming off York Harbor Beach. Anne Bancroft claims that although York police are unsure of what exactly led to her husband’s passing, she believes he became in danger and was unable to make it back to land. Police said that the surf at the time was very strong.
At 3:55 on Friday, York police said they received a 911 call about a possible drowning off York Harbor Beach. Police, fire, and medical personnel were called, but the harbor master’s rescue boat was ultimately responsible for bringing Bancroft to shore. He passed away there despite efforts to revive him.
Bancroft and his wife bought a home in York in 2017. Before finally retiring in February 2020, just before the outbreak started, he split his time between his new life in York and his legal career.
Bancroft co-founded his company in 1981 after 45 years of legal practice in Massachusetts. The website of the company claims that representing owners and managers of affordable housing constituted a sizable portion of Bancroft’s legal business. Additionally, Bancroft sat on the board of directors of Commonwealth Land Trust, a Massachusetts-based organization that works to eliminate homelessness and preserve local communities.
After relocating to York five years ago from Newton, Massachusetts, a landlocked Boston suburb, Dan had become hooked with cold water swimming. He liked to take short swims on the beach by his new home.
“Dan always enjoyed running. He enjoyed playing tennis and squash, but he became fixated on cold water swimming “On Wednesday night, his wife, Anne Bancroft, made a phone statement. “He took part in the Special Olympics’ morning ocean swim on New Year’s Day. As soon as he got out of the water, he shouted, “This feels so amazing.” He liked it and, I think, found it difficult. It gave him a sense of renewed vigor.”
A memorial service for Bancroft will be place at the library on January 28. The public is welcome to attend, and the event starts at 3 p.m.
In addition to his three grown children, Elizabeth, Ben, and Lilly, and four grandchildren, Bancroft is survived by his wife Anne, a part-time minister at the Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church in Damariscotta.