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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Brazoria County lost a true friend |
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and dedicated public servant with the passing of Robert Raye Dixon |
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of West Columbia on September 28, 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, Robert Dixon grew up in West Columbia and graduated |
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in 1965 from Charlie Brown High School; he went on to earn a |
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bachelor's degree cum laude from Prairie View A&M University and to |
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obtain his funeral director license from the Commonwealth Institute |
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of Funeral Service; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1983, after working for more than a decade as an |
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insurance agent and mortician, Mr. Dixon fulfilled his dream of |
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opening his own funeral home; Dixon Funeral Home today has |
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locations in both Brazoria and Angleton and continues to follow the |
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principles of compassionate service that Mr. Dixon established; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Dixon truly believed in giving back to his |
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community, as exemplified by his long and illustrious life in |
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public office; he was a member of the West Columbia City Council for |
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14 years, beginning in 1976, before being elected as the city's |
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first African American mayor; during his tenure, he helped bring |
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several nationally known retailers to the city and saw the |
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completion of a library, civic center, and city hall; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed gentleman later demonstrated his |
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commitment to his fellow residents as president of Brazoria County |
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Cities Association, as a consultant for Mims Community Center, and |
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as a trustee and steward of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal |
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Church; moreover, he was active in the Brazoria Masonic Lodge No. |
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104 and the Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 388; and |
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WHEREAS, Along the way, Mr. Dixon was appointed by Governor |
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Ann Richards to the Texas Funeral Service Commission, which he |
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subsequently served as chair of the board, and he helped found the |
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Coastal Funeral Directors and Morticians Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Dixon was nominated as Drum Major for the |
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Brazoria County Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration Committee, and |
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he was a recipient of a Citizen of the Year Award from the Omega Psi |
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Phi Fraternity; and |
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WHEREAS, Revered by his community and his family, Robert |
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Dixon never met a stranger and served as a role model and mentor to |
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countless people; he will be deeply missed and forever remembered |
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by all those fortunate enough to have shared in his love and |
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friendship; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Robert Raye Dixon and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife of |
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41 years, Audrey Dixon; to his daughters, Tina Dixon and Aretha |
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Abioye and her husband, Awofe; to his mother-in-law, Maxine Davis; |
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to his brothers-in-law, Charles Johnson and his wife, Carolyn, and |
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Don Bates; to his sisters-in-law, Mary Louise Dickson, Thelma |
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Earls, and Abbie Faye McDowell; to his aunts, Carrie, Dorothy, and |
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Luberta Thomas; to his godsister, Debra Williams; to his godson, |
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Larry A. Thomas; to his goddaughters, Addie Williams and Tashea |
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Shorter; to his grandchildren and great-grandchild; and to his |
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other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family, and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Robert Raye |
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Dixon. |