Patricia Ann Dixon

Patricia (Pat) Ann Dixon was born March 25, 1936 and peacefully passed away on April 24, 2021 at Frontier Extended Care. She was born to Charles and Hazel (Copeland) Lyon in Longview, Washington. She was the middle child of 3 daughters and grew-up in Longview. Pat was proud to be the descendant of hardworking family members who came to Longview in 1923 to help build the community of Longview. She was a lifelong member of the Longview ‘23’ Club.
Pat’s children enjoyed hearing their mom share the story about how she met their dad Ralph, Sr. In the summer of 1948 at the age of 12 years old, Pat was on the City of Longview bus with her mother and younger sister when a “cute” 13-year-old boy got on the bus with his mother and brother. Even though Pat had never seen him before she declared to her mother and sister “I am going to marry that boy some day!” When Pat returned to school that fall, she heard the boy’s mother had recently passed away. Pat made it her mission to meet him and tell him she was sorry his mom had passed away. That led to the two becoming friends and eventually, girlfriend and boyfriend and on July 15, 1955 she and that “cute boy” Ralph E. Dixon, Sr were married at Longview Community Church. Pat and Ralph created a beautiful life together for 43 years in Longview raising 3 children Sue, Ralph, Jr and Ronna. Together they would enjoy spending time with their grown children and grandchildren until Ralph, Sr passed away in December 1998. Pat lived on for another 22 years, actively welcoming the next generation and participating in family life that included 6 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild.
In 2003, Pat decided it was time to move from the home she and Ralph shared, moving into Campus Towers. Pat loved people and always saw the good in each person she met throughout her lifetime so when she moved to Campus Towers it was the perfect place for her to be a “social butterfly.” For the next 15 years she enjoyed weekly bingo, holiday parties, baking cookies to share with friends on her floor, daily visits with staff and residents and clam chowder on Fridays in the cafeteria where family and friends would join her for lunch. Pat especially looked forward every week to her Sunday lunch date with son Ralph, Jr.
Pat began each day with joy and a song. It was not unusual to hear her humming a song as she went about her daily activities. Each of her children, grandchild and great-grandchild remember waking up in the morning to Pat singing You Are My Sunshine. Pat’s children reflecting on their life with her say “We never saw mom depressed a day in our lives. Even during the most difficult of life events mom always looked for the sunshine.”
When Pat reflected on her life she always said when she was a young girl all she wanted to be was a wife and mommy someday. She did that and so much more. Pat was a wife, a mom, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, and a great-great grandmother. She was a daughter, a sister, and an aunt. She was a friend to every adult she met and an adopted grandmother to her children and grandchildren’s friends. Knowing Pat meant you were going to be well loved, never judged, and always cared for.
Pat leaves behind a beautiful legacy reflected in her surviving family. She is survived by her children Sue and Walt Tinney, Ralph Dixon, Jr, and Ronna Dixon. Six grandchildren Stefanee, Vicki, Jennifer, Kristina, Dan and Brian, thirteen great-grandchildren Jacob, Korbin, Aarin, Megan, Keanan, Dante, Hunter, Alex, Jaxon, Skylar, Dallas, Faith and Evan and one great-great grandchild born this past year, Kyle.
Pat is also survived by several nieces and nephews and her brother-in-law who she always said was more of a brother, Jerry Ford.
Pat was preceded in death by the love of her life Ralph, Sr, her parents Charles Lyon, Hazel Hilton and her stepfather whom she adored Woodrow “Shorty” Hilton, and her cherished sisters May Ford and Alice Ballinger.
Pat will always be beautifully loved by her family and she will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Burial has taken place at Longview Memorial Park.