Robert J. Dixon

Robert J. Dixon, 63, passed away Feb. 10, 2009. at his home on the Royal Slope.

Bob was born on Dec. 21, 1945, in Fort Sill, Okla., to his parents Homer and Meril (Gill) Dixon.

Bob was the oldest of four siblings with brothers Scott and Brad and his sister Christine.

In 1954, when he was 9 years old, he moved with the family to Connell, Wash., to farm.

He was very athletic as a youngster and loved to chase around the ball fields and help on the family farm.

He attended school in Connell until they moved to the Royal Slope in 1962, where he finished up his junior and senior year of high school, graduating from Othello in June of 1964. He played basketball and track and it’s been rumored that he helped beat his old school (Connell) in hoops.

After graduating, Bob went on to serve a two-year Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in the Eastern Atlantic mission in the Washington D.C. area.

Following the mission, Bob came home and was planning to attend college, when in 1968 he was drafted to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. His mom Meril was not happy about that but he promised he would be careful and come back in one piece. He delivered on that promise. He had lots of stories but he seldom talked about them.

Afterwards he headed off to Brigham Young University, where he studied communications, later graduating.

In May of 1973, following a visit back to the slope, he was introduced to Yvonne Byington. They didn’t hit it off right away because he sat in her father’s favorite chair and made himself right at home!

Soon after, they were dating, mud bogging and going to Maddox’s restaurant to eat. They fell in love and were married Sept. 11, 1973, in the Logan LDS temple.

They moved to the Royal Slope and went to work on the family farm. They started their family in 1979 when Devin was born; soon to follow was Denys, Drew and then Dallas. They all enjoyed going and watching Bob and his brothers play softball tournaments or watch them compete at the tractor pulls.

You could usually find Bob either watching or playing sports. Some of his proudest moments came when all three of his sons played on the Royal High School football team in three different years, and he got to see all three of his sons win state championships! He also loved to golf and was later in life a big motorsports fan.

He was a great husband, father, brother, who loved his wife and his family and made many sacrifices over the years. He will be missed so much, but his legacy lives on as he is survived by his wife Yvonne, his four children and six grandchildren. Let us all celebrate the memories of Robert J. Dixon which will last forever.

Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., a viewing and visitation will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at Royal Camp. Saturday, a viewing will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 10:30 a.m., the funeral service to follow at 11 a.m. Burial and concluding services will be at Royal Memorial Gardens, Royal City.

Please leave a note for the family and view the obituary at www.carverfamilyfuneralhome.com. Bob’s family asked Carver Family Funeral Home, Moses Lake to care for arrangements.