William Lee Dix

William L. Dix age 92 of Homewood passed away on January 13,2012. Mr. Dix was born in Atlanta, he moved to Rome,Ga as a teen and attended Darlington School. A swim team member he set a SEAAU record for the 100- yard breast stroke. Graduated in 1938 he was awarded a scholarship to the University of the South (Sewanee) where he was a cheerleader and a member of Kappa Alpha.

He enlisted in the U. S. Air Force in September 1941 and was sent to Chanute Field,IL for training as a meteorologist. Served in this capacity at several air fields in the Western U.S. and was active at Cal Tech working with Col.Irving Krick, later famed as General Eisenhower's D-Day forecaster. Then assigned to Pacific Theatre Headquarters in Hawaii and hence to Okinawa and across the bay to the tiny island of IeShema,arriving the day after renowned correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed there by a sniper. From IeShima he provided a forecast for Nagasaki the day of the second atomic bomb drop and shortly thereafter for the Japanese generals on their way to surrender in the Phillipines. Discharged in November 1945.

Enrolled in the University of Missouri School of Journalism and completed his formal education at the University of Georgia where he also served as swim team coach.

He began his business career with a small advertising agency in Atlanta for a year in the automobile parts business. Returned to journalism as a reporter/photographer,production manager, advertising manager and then editor of "The Southern Dairy Products Journal". Moved on to New Orleans for two years as promotion manager for the publisher of five leading trade journals before joining a major advertising agency in Birmingham, AL. There he became responsible for accounts such as GE, RCA, St. Regis Paper Co., Southern Industries Corp., AUS. Congressman and a United States Senator winning awards on local,regional and national levels. His work brought him into personal association with a number of celebrities including Ronald Reagan,Arnold Palmer,Jack Niklaus, Bobby Allison, and Richard Petty. He retired as a proprietor of Alabama's largest full service advertising agency in 1981, moving to his home on the golf course in Fort Payne,AL.

An Eagle Scout and Scout Master and served the Fort Payne Rotary Clubs board member and president, Rotary International as District Secretary and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a Life Member and Trustee of L landmarks of DeKalb County;Board Chairman for the Fort Payne Depot Museum; Advisory Board for the Mentone Heritage Foundation; member of Friends of Little River and the Big Wills Art Council and spearheaded special projects for the DeKalb County member and Board member of Chace Lake Country Club and the Inverness Country Club in Birmingham, Board member and Vice President of the DeSoto Country Club and charter member of the Terrapin Hill Country Club in Fort Payne.

He was preceded in death by parents Harry Lee Dix, Jr. and Lucile Loeb Dix of Rome, GA and is survived by his wife of over 62 years Lucette Sanders Dix; children Sanders Lee Dix of Helena, Lisa Dix South of Atlanta, William Sharpe Dix of Birmingham and Marianne Dix Little of Alexandria, VA. and five grandchildren. He is also survived by a Cousin, Frances Wilkinson of Evanston, IL, who was his “sister”, since he was an only child.

A service for immediate family will be at the Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church Columbarium in Homewood, AL.