Jackie Eugene Dixon's Obituary
Jackie Eugene Dixon was born in Richmond, Indiana, in Wayne County on December 16, 1930. He was the first of five children born to Glen and Carrie (McCown) Dixon. Jackie was preceeded in death by his brother, Freddie and his parents. He graduated from Lynn High School in 1948 with high honors in Biology and World History. He attended Business College in Kokomo, Indiana before moving his family to Southern California.
He accepted Christ as a youth and as a result of his leadership, he was able to lead his parents to Christ. He was first a member of Bethel AME, Richmond, of Wayman AME, Kokomo, First AME, Pasadena and lastly Allen Chapel AME, Sacramento.
Jackie met the love of his life, Delores Townsend, his “brown sugar” at a church conference in 1947 at the age of 16. He told his buddies that he was going to marry her one day and he did.
In January 1951, Jackie joined the United States Army and served for almost three years in Germany during the Korean Conflict. He was a clerk in administration and was honorably discharged on January 18, 1954;
Marriage bells rang out on April 18, 1954, when Jackie united in holy matrimony with Delores in Kokomo, Indiana. Two children were born to this union, Debra Jo and Kevin.
In August of 1960, Jackie and the family left Kokomo for Pasadena, California. He lived there from 1960-1976. While living in Pasadena, Jackie worked as a salesman at Chandler Shoes store and eventually landed a job at the Pasadena Unified School District. He worked his way up from a Custodian to the position of Building Service Supervisor. Upon moving to Northern California in 1976, he continued to work in the same capacity as in Pasadena in the Shingle Springs School District until he retired in 1985.
Jackie had a strong love for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even after relocating from Pasadena to Citrus Heights, he followed the Dodger Blue. In addition to the Dodgers, he rooted for the San Franscisco 49ers football team and the Sacrament Kings basketball team.
Always concerned about his community, Jackie was heavily involved in the voting processes locally. He and other family members worked for many years overseeing the polling stations. He was estatic when Citrus Heights became a city and was instrumental in making sure that necessary improvements such as graffiti on the walls, street repairs and raingutter cleanliness were up to standard. His personal contribution to the beautification of his neighborhood was his multiple rose bushes that adorned his front yard and were admired by young and old alike.
His love for his church, Allen Chapel AME, was evident not just on Sunday, but every day. He served on the Steward Board, Trustee Board, Usher Board and the Finance Committee. In addtion, he also sang in the Men’s Chorus and attended Bible Study for several years. Whenever ther was a need at the church, Jackie did not hesitate to accommodate that need, whatever it was. He played a major role in collaborating local government officials to ensure that the church was compliant with the city and county ordinances. His goal was always to do things right the first time. His word was truly his bond. Because of his continued committment to Allen Chapel AME, he was awarded the honor of Man of the Year in the early 1990s.
As an extension of his love for Allen Chapel AME, he provided carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning services to the church for many years as a gift. Also, being an informed and knowledgable officer of the church was extremely important to Jackie. He studied the church discipline with diligence and purpose to hold the church leadership accountable for the growth and development of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Many AME pastors sought out his wise council for church issues because of his never-ending passion for the AME church.
After retirement, Jackie kept himself busy being a self-employed business owner and handyman and church consultant for several years. Being afflicted with Parkinson’s disease slowed down his physical abilities and activities, but never his mental capabilities. He never stopped offering his words of wisdom, even until near the end.
He leaves to cherish his memory and legacy his wife of almost 59 years, Delores, daughter Debra Jo (Konata) of Altadena, CA son Kevin (Angelita) of Citrus Heights, three sisters; Virginia Talbott and Thelma Patterson of Dayton, Ohio; Eris (Paul) Day of Connersville, Indiana; two brother-in-laws William Townsend of Las Vegas, NV and Michael (Cheryle) Townsend of Claremont, CA.; sister-in-law Joan (Phil) Runels of Oklahoma City, OK.; devoted sister-in-law and brother-in-law Carolyn and John Carter of Sacramento, CA; dedicated cousin Garry (Roslyn) Crawford of Citrus Heights, CA; eight grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and a host of relatives, friends and extended family. He is also survived by his special daughters Rev. Lorraine Canaday of Citrus Heights, CA. and Sheila Roundtree of Sacramento, CA and special son Rev. George (Sonny) Mason of Tulare, CA. and his loving caregivers Iran Hernandez and Sharon Bogety.
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