Gary D. Dixon
Marriages
Kim Yaeckel Dixon
Obituaries
Vail Daily page A8 - May 26, 2009
Gary D. Dixon, 62, of Raleigh, N.C., formerly of Vail, died May 20 in Raleigh, N.C.
Gary was the youngest son of John and Betty Dixon, of Baltimore. His family moved to Denver in 1958 and he graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1966. Raised in Colorado, Gary loved to fish, camp and backpack in the Rockies and his children shared this passion years later.
He entered the U.S. Army in 1968 and served in the 313th Radio Research Company in Pleiku, Vietnam, and in the 175th RR company in Bein Hoa. In 1970-71, he served with the 335th RR Company in Dong Tam and Can Tho, Vietnam. Honorably discharged, he eventually studied business at Metropolitan State College in Denver, receiving his bachelor’s in marketing in 1977.
Ever the enthusiastic outdoorsman, Gary enjoyed the opportunity to move to Vail in 1977 to become the working partner of Valley Cleaners and the Copper Tub Dry Cleaners, eventually opening storefronts in Vail, East Vail, Minturn and Copper Mountain. It was here that he met Kim, and they were married in 1985 in Denver. He returned to Vail often throughout his life to teach his children of his loves.
When Kim’s IBM career brought them to Research Triangle Park, N.C., in 1987. Gary attended North Carolina State University and received his North Carolina teaching credentials with honors. He began teaching in the business department at East Wake High School in 1992. In 1999, he became the Career Development Coordinator of EWHS and worked there until his death. He found the CDC position fulfilling, helping many college- and non-college-bound students with career options.
Gary was active in Boy Scouts, and enjoyed the opportunity to instruct scouts in fishing and other outdoor sports, and scouting side-by-side with his son. In 1992, both Gary and Kim took up German dancing with the nonprofit organization the Little German Band and Dancers, of Raleigh, N.C. For 16 years, they brought joy and fun to audiences with their folk dancing, performing in the Eastern U.S. as well as during three trips to Europe, where they performed at the opening parade of Munich’s Oktoberfest, in other parts of Germany and in Belgium, making lifelong friends along the way. Gary was dance director for six years.
Gary is survived by his wife, Kim Yaeckel Dixon; his son, Matthew; his daughter, Amanda; and his brothers, Gerald Dixon and Dr. Ronald Dixon, both of St. Augustine, Fla.
A celebration of life Mass will be held at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Raleigh, N.C. at 4 p.m. today with a reception following. Burial will be at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Raleigh.
Donations may be made in memory of Gary Dixon to Hospice of Wake County, Building Fund, http://www.buildhospice.org. Donations may also be made to the Gary Dixon Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o East Wake Education Foundation, PO Box 1404, Wendell, NC 27591. This scholarship will benefit post-high school vocational education, per Gary’s wishes.
