Edithrose Chase Grady Dixon

Edithrose Chase Grady Dixon, age 79, of Trent Woods, North Carolina, passed away on Saturday, January 29, 2022. Edithrose was born July 18, 1942 in Washington DC to the late Melvin Whitfield Grady and Edith Rose Chase Grady. She is predeceased by her brother, John Whitfield Grady.

She always said she was “born to be a nurse”. At the age of 14, she convinced the director of nursing at

Onslow County Hospital in Jacksonville NC, to bend the rules to allow her to be an aid. After graduating from Jacksonville Senior High School in 1960, she entered the Hamlet School of Nursing, a 3 year registered nurse program, located in Hamlet NC. She was certified in 1963 and moved to New Bern, NC to begin her career at Craven County Hospital as a floor supervisor and emergency room nurse. Soon after starting her job, the Director of Nursing, Mrs. Robena Dixon, insisted that she meet her son, Edward Dixon. Eight months later, the couple was married. During their 56 year marriage, they raised a son and daughter in Trent Woods; he working for Cherry Point and she making strides in her own career as a nursing supervisor for 20 years. Besides her experience with the hospital, she was the original Director of Nursing at Guardian Care, and in 1989, became an instructor at Pamlico Community College. At PCC, she ran the Medical Assisting Program and the Allied Health Programs. In 1993, she helped PCC develop an agreement with ECU’s School of Nursing which launched the Career Mobility Program, a

pre-nursing program at PCC. This program offered students an introduction to nursing and the opportunity to transfer those credits to the ECU School of Nursing to earn a BSN Degree. In January of 1998, she retired from PCC to spend time traveling with her husband. Over the next 24 years, they traveled most of the US, Canada and Nova Scotia in their motor home. She enjoyed camping trips with the Sudan Shriner’s Camping Club, watching her grandchildren become teenagers, and she never missed an opportunity to play cards.

She is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Orin Edward "Ed" Dixon, Jr., two children; Lori Lynne Dixon Pate (Clay) of Raleigh NC, and Grady Edward Dixon, Sr. (Paige) of Trent Woods NC, 3 grandchildren; Caroline Chase Pate, Emily Rose Dixon and Grady Edward Dixon, Jr., all of whom she adored.

The Family would like to thank all of the medical professionals with CCHC for their care over the years, as well as Dr. Roy Everett and ICU staff at Carolina East Medical center along with the Palliative Care Unit. Your care meant so much to us! In lieu of flowers, we would appreciate donations made to Shriners Children’s Hospital of Greenville, SC or SECU Comprehensive Care Center (Cancer Center) at Carolina East Medical Center in New Bern, NC.  

The family will receive friends on Thursday, February 3, 2022 from 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM at Greenleaf Memorial Park-Lakeside Chapel, 900 River Road in New Bern, North Carolina 28562, followed by a Lakeside Chapel Service at 2:00 PM, interment to immediately follow in the cemetery. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cottenfuneralhome.com for the Dixon family. Cotten Funeral Home is honored to serve the family and friends of Edithrose Dixon.