Obituary of William Campbell Dixon

William Campbell Dixon, a longtime resident of Duxbury, MA, died peacefully on April 24, 2023 following a two-year battle with lymphoma.  Bill was born in Boston on July 14, 1943 and grew up in West Roxbury.  He attendee Boston Latin School and graduated from Boston English as class valedictorian.  He graduated from Providence College in 1965.

Bill leaves his wife of 58 years Katherine Brosnan Dixon and his three children, Edward Dixon and his wife Melissa Donohoe Dixon, Jonathan Dixon and his wife Ann Dixon, and Kathleen Dixon and her husband Peter Kadra.  He also leaves his grandchildren Bridget, Austin, and Genevieve Dixon, Mackenzie and Allison Dixon, William, Eve, and Harry Flederman, Madison and Hunter Kadra, and Fletcher, Cooper, and Marlowe Donohoe, and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Charles W. Dixon, his mother Genevieve Campbell Dixon, his brother Charles W. Dixon, Jr., and his sister Janet Dixon Strong. 

Immediately following his college graduation, Bill began a career in the insurance field.  He was accepted into a marketing management program at John Hancock Life, after which he worked with the Hancock for several years, managing an agency in the Boston Back Bay.  In the early 1970s Bill joined Sun Life of Canada, taking a position as an agency manager in Washington DC.  N 1974 Sun Life offered him the opportunity to return to Boston to oversee the management of agencies nationwide.  He held that position for several years before deciding to go out on his own.  He formed Dixon Associates in 1982 and remained active for almost forty years as an independent insurance broker, retiring just a few months before his death. 

Bill and Kathy raised their three children in Duxbury, where they established deep roots.  For several years Bill was active in town affairs, serving twice on the Finance committee and once on the Fiscal Advisory Committee.  While his children were growing up, he often coached their sports teams.  He was a member of the Holy Family Parish building committee that was instrumental in overseeing the purchase of land on Tremont Street, and the construction of the new church building.  Bill was also a lector for many years at Holy Family parish, and more recently at St. John the Evangelist Church.

Bill was a longtime member of the Duxbury Yacht Club, where he served as a term as Treasurer.  He was an avid golfer and was a member of the men’s golf committee at various times, serving one term as chairman.  He loved golf and was a regular on the course over many decades, and could be found regularly on the driving range honing his skills.  He was very proud to have had four holes in one over his golfing career.

A funeral mass will be held at St. John the Evangelist Church, 410 Washington Street in Duxbury on May 4th at 11 AM and will also be live streamed thru STJOHNSDUXBURY.ORG. Donations in Bill’s memory may be made to Translational Lymphoma Research Fund, 010-63846, Office of Development, 330 Brookline Avenue, (OV), Boston, MA  02215.  Burial will be private.