John Francis Dixon Iii

John F. Dixon III was born on May 17, 1945 in Bel Air, Maryland to John F. Dixon Jr. and Sarah Elizabeth Eaton.

John was raised in Fargo, ND and he graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1963, where he was captain of the hockey team and a member of the golf team. John spent most of his early years caddying and playing golf at the Fargo Country Club. Working long hours, his mom delivered dinner to him.

After high school, he attended the University of North Dakota where he played on the UND golf team and joined Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He met Kathryn Keating while they were decorating floats for the UND Homecoming Parade; they married in 1965. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business and later a Master of Science in Accounting.

John enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1968 and served as an Army Cook through 1975. Cooking became a lifelong passion and created a common bond between John and his sons. He had an appreciation for small pleasures in life, comparing types of shaving brushes, razors, soaps, and shaving balms. He wore inexpensive watches frequently changing his plethora of colored bands. He had many daily rituals, including perfecting his technique for making the perfect cup of coffee, seeking the exact time for preparing a hard boiled egg, preparing his toast the night before his early morning breakfast, and long daily walks. John remained a life-long learner, including a strong interest in technology and grilling techniques, and even learning Spanish in his post-retirement years. He loved to share his enthusiasm with anyone who would listen, even providing shaving lessons to an aid working with him during his brief stay at Essentia Hospital. He was physically active throughout his life. He enjoyed playing handball, competing in tournaments through the Fargo YMCA, walking, bicycling and was an avid golfer for many years.

With the exception of his stint as CFO of Steffen's Office Equipment, John was a tax accountant for his entire career, last working at Drewes & Horab.

John died at home surrounded by his family while in the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley after recently being diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy Dixon; his children, John “Quad” and his wife Brandie, Patrick and his wife Bethany, and Alex and his wife Andrea; his seven grandchildren, Kate, Elsie, Dexter, Henry, Harper, Felix, Nolan and a granddaughter on the way; his sister Mary Render (Rick) and brother-in-law Dan Smith, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Amy Smith.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s memory to Handi-Wheels of Fargo and Hospice of the Red River Valley.