Dorothy Owens Nix

Dorothy Owens Nix

September 6, 1927 - October 7, 2017

Obituary

Dorothy Owens Nix, a beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, died on October 7, at the age of 90. Born to Roy Lee and Josephine Orr Owens, in Evansville, Indiana, Dorothy was a cherished only child who learned to cook at her mother's side and clean a fish at her father's. She was a curious student who attended Centennial Grade School. Some of her favorite memories from childhood were the many times she gathered her cousins and neighborhood boys on Ingle Avenue to play baseball with the ball her father kept for the neighborhood games. A child of the Great Depression, she learned to be resourceful. She also learned compassion for those in need, a characteristic which defined her.

Dorothy attended Reitz High School and was a proud West Sider her entire life. Some of her favorite classes were Bookkeeping and World History. As a teenager she helped to support her household, working as a salesperson several days a week after school.

At the age of 17, Dorothy met Chris Nix in the fall of 1944 while he was on military leave visiting family in Evansville. After only three dates, Chris knew he was in love with Dorothy and in the early days of their love, he carved their initials in a rock on the water's edge at the Old Dam in New Harmony. Generally reserved and cautious people, Chris and Dorothy married after just a few short months of dating, on January 27, 1945. Their ceremony and reception cost only $2, but the dividends of that day enriched them throughout their lifetime.

While Chris was serving as an Army Paratrooper in WWII, Dorothy worked as a secretary while also supporting the war cause. In October of 1949, Dorothy gave birth to her first daughter, Donna, followed by the birth of a second daughter, Barbara, in 1951. While raising her two daughters she helped her husband start a successful construction company, first managing finances and later serving as Vice President. Dorothy was the president of the PTA at Sacred Heart as well as leader of the school's Girl Scout Troop for many years, teaching the resourcefulness and skills that she learned as a child from her parents, including camping, cooking, and sewing.

Her middle years were filled with great joy as her daughters married: Donna to Douglas Fenn, and Barbara to Thomas Liffick. Three grandchildren, Emily, Chris, and Meg, soon followed. During their childhoods, Dorothy taught them life skills and values, the most important of which were gratitude, empathy, optimism, and kindness.

A life-long quilter, Dorothy made dozens of cherished quilts for family and friends. Having learned Southern-style cooking from her mother, she prepared thousands of wonderful meals for guests in her home over the years. She was an avid genealogist who recorded and shared the family history with extended cousins and others. Until her death, Dorothy was a voracious reader, particularly of American History, reading more than a 1,000 pages a week. She was member of the Evansville Doll Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, and was an honored volunteer of the Reitz Home Museum, where she served with her husband for decades. She also volunteered at Resurrection Church, where she was a member of the Parish.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter Donna, and is survived by her loving husband of nearly 73 years, Chris, her son-in-law Doug, her daughter Barbara and her husband Thom, her grandchildren, Emily, Chris, and Meg, and her great-grandchildren, Harper, Reid, Josephine, Ford, and August.

Dorothy was a role model for family and friends, always exhibiting pragmatism and dedication. She cared deeply about the well being of others and led her life in service to those around her. Living her life with an open heart and an open mind, Dorothy was an example of grace and kindness to all who knew her.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Wednesday, October 11, 2017, at Alexander West Chapel. Friends may visit Tuesday from 3:00 to 7:00 PM and Wednesday from 10:00 AM until service time at the funeral home.

To honor Dorothy's life of service, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Habitat for Humanity-Evansville. Condolences may be made online at www.AlexanderWestChapel.com.

Alexander Memorial Park Burial Location: G