Dixie Lee Fleming was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, on November 20, 1935, to Dorothy and Kenneth Reynolds, and died peacefully at Dublin Retirement Village on July 6, 2024, supported and surrounded by her family.
In her younger years Dixie lived both in Chillicothe and Columbus, where she had fond memories of friendships made working at the famous Jai Lai restaurant. She returned to Chillicothe and worked 25 years for the Meade Paper company. While there she raised three children, most of the time as a single mother working full time while dealing with bipolar illness. In retirement, she moved to the Columbus area to be closer to family.
In 2012, Dixie suffered a debilitating stroke that rendered her paralyzed on her right side and required 24-hour care. Nonetheless, she continued actively in her motorized wheelchair, often gaily traversing the neighborhood around her nursing facility. She was a devotee of old Westerns and vintage TV shows.
She is preceded in death by parents, Dorothy and Kenneth Reynolds; sisters, Vicky Carmona and Kathy Birmingham; and is survived by her brother, Richard Reynolds, daughters, Shannon (Rob) Crane and Karla Fleming; and son, Terry DeGarmo; as well as grandchildren, Ryan DeGarmo, Seth (Laura) DeGarmo, Anna DeGarmo, Joel DeGarmo, Connor Crane, Chase Crane and Kyle Fleming, and great-grandchildren, Drew, Wilsen, Carson and Poppy DeGarmo, and Kyle Fleming, Jr.
The family would especially like to thank her great friend, Martine Mwamba, who helped as chauffeur and constant companion, as well as the nurses at Capital City Hospice and the nurses and staff of Dublin Retirement Village.
There will be a private service at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) of Southern Ohio -- namisouthernohio.org. "Be curious, not judgmental." -- Walt Whitman
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