John Dixon

DIXON, John Holland age 87, passed away on September 26, 2009. The seventh of ten children, Mr. Dixon was born to Mr. and Mrs. James Sipio Dixon 11/8/21 in Brentwood, Tn. on the Dixon farm first established in 1858. As a fourth generation member, he grew up there until the farm was sold in 1934. Mr. Dixon was preceded in death by his mother, father, step-mother Ruth Dixon, sister, Josephine, brothers, James, Jesse, Marshall, Cecil, and Lawrence. He is survived by his wife of 64 yrs., Juanita Craddock Dixon, his son, Dr. John H. Dixon, Jr., and his wife Jan Johnston Dixon, his grandsons John David Dixon and Dr. Adam Daniel Dixon, and their wives respectively Stephanie McCallie Dixon and Stephanie Little Dixon. Surviving also are his sister Katherine Conquest, brother, Charles Dixon, and his wife Julia, his sister-in-law Betty Dixon wife of Lawrence, sister-law-law Norma Craddock Melvin and husband Wendell, and numerous beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. A student athlete football and baseball in high school, he volunteered for service in the United States Navy at the beginning of WWII. His ship LST 379 was in the first wave of five European invasions. He was awarded a service ribbon with five bronze stars, each representing major invasions in North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and Normandy. In 1944, he was commended by his commanding officer for "extreme and courageous performance of duty" in these actions. After VE day, he was reassigned as Acting Chief Petty Officer to LST 1146 for Pacific duty and was in Guam preparing for the invasion of Japan at the time of the war's end. While home on leave he was married to his high school sweetheart on 3/1/45. From Oct. '45 until retirement in Nov. '78, he was employed as field engineer by NCR Company, and afterward was co-owner of D and M Enterprises until '84. A member of the Baptist Church, baptized in 1941, a 32nd degree Mason in the Buena Vista Lodge since 1949, he organized and coached Little League baseball and football in Donelson, Tn. In '72 he moved to Burns, Tn. and raised cattle on his Twin Oaks Farms. He was a proud member of the Iron Dukes of Duke University. Shaped by the Great Depression, WWII, and hard work, he molded into an iron-strong character marked by unbridled honesty, fierce loyalty, integrity, and faith in God. Often describing himself as "the luckiest man in the world," Mr. Dixon's close-knit family was the expressed joy of his life. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family respectfully requests your thoughts and prayers, the greatest measures of condolence. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 10 am till noon at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens on Highway 100. A graveside service will be held immediately afterward at 1 pm at the Tennessee Veteran's Cemetery on McCrory Lane in Pegram, Tn.