“Climb like you have never fallen. Ski like you have never been injured. Jump as though your parachute has always opened. Kayak like you have never had to swim a rapid. Go early, go light, go far. And never, never stop dancing!” Jerry Dixon
Jerry was born in Washington DC on August 5, 1948. During the past few years, he lived bravely and fully despite having ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease). He died in Seward, Alaska, on September 9, 2010 in the arms of both his sons, and with his wife and other close relatives and friends enveloping him in their love.
Jerry was a smokejumper, a fire management officer and a fire ecologist for the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. He was one of the few jumpers in the history of smoke jumping to have survived a double malfunction (when both parachutes fail to open when first deployed). He has also been a Yukon River ranger, a philosopher, a biologist, a wilderness ultra marathoner, a climber, a kayaker, an extreme skier, an avid conservationist, a guide, a writer and a teacher of the gifted, both in the Northwest Arctic and in Seward. He wrote three books, and many articles, too numerous to count. He also enjoyed and excelled at starting endowments at most of the non-profits he volunteered for. He started 17 endowment funds (scholarships, achievement awards, university lectureships, conservation internship opportunities, etc) and also raised enough money for Solace International to build a K-12 school in Afghanistan. He was on the Science Advisory Board for the Alaska Sealife Center, and on boards for many conservation organizations over the years both in Alaska and in Idaho; also the Iditarod Trailblazers in Seward. His favorite movie during his last six months was Arctic Dance,The Mardy Murie Story, which he watched at least once a week. He loved forming friendships with people whose lives were dedicated to conservation, such as Mardy Murie, Celia Hunter, Brina Kessel, Ginny Woods, Ralph Maughan and Nelle Tobias.
He always loved his wife Deborah, sons Kipp and Pyper, Family, Friends, Rivers, Mountains, Sky, God, Country, and All things Wild and Free. He goes to ski thunderheads beyond the far horizon, and dance like fire upon the mountains.-JD
Jerry is also survived by his brothers Michael Dixon of Xian, China and Todd Dixon of Albuquerque, NM, sister Darcy Dixon-Pignanelli of Salt Lake City, UT, and numerous adored nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Jerrys memory to one of the following non-profit organizations: National Smokejumpers Association; Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance; Idaho Conservation League; or the Jerry Dixon Award for Excellence in Environmental Education at the Alaska Conservation Foundation, accessed at http://alaskaconservation.org/achievement-awards/achievement-award-categories/
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Jerry used to come by occasionally with a bottle of wine and join us in our daily celebration of life in Seward, conversing with us on many current topics and regaling us with tales of his many adventures in the wilds of Alaska and outside. We will remember these shared moments with fondness. Our best wishes to his family and many friends
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Ah, la vache ! c’était ce qu’il aimait répéter, à Grenoble, il y a… de nombreuses années… il nous avait séduits tous, nous ne l’oublierons jamais. Un grand bonhomme, un exemple pour beaucoup. Une pensée très émue pour Déborah et leurs enfants. L’amour est plus fort que la mort ! Michèle, co-organisatrice des camps internationaux universitaires de ski de Grenoble-Corrençon Vercors, il y a… très longtemps (début des années 70)
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We were very honored to have been the editor staff for Jerry S. Dixon on both his book, “Rocky Traverse” and his book, “Wild for Alaska” and he bestowed another honor to us when he allowed us to publish his second book. Working with Jerry was a journalistic experience like no other. He was able to take us along with him through his words – up the mountains he climbed, through the waters he navigated and on the trips he took. We also got to experience exciting life through him and then gratefully we were able to keep his life experiences alive forever for others to enjoy. Thank you, Jerry, for always being kind and always being interesting. Never, ever will you be forgotten by the staff at Entry Way or Digi-Tall Media. Bless your family and friends who treasure knowing you.