Roxanna Kuhn Dodson

On August 12, 2026, Roxanna Kuhn Dodson flew first class to her final destination, greeted by sunshine, an unlimited Kindle subscription, Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream, a bevy of golden retrievers, and a glorious reunion with her parents, husband and great grandson. Born October 1, 1937, to P.A. and Mary Kuhn in Decatur, Indiana, she was known as Roxy, Mother, Mom, Nanny, Nans, Cuckie Doo-Dah, and occasionally Jeff.

Raised in Indianapolis, she graduated from Indiana University (Delta Gamma) in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and married Howard O. “Pete” Dodson, Jr. that June. She started her career as a teacher, and from there made a sharp turn to help Pete explore his dream of farming. You might be surprised to know Roxy knew how to mow hay with their John Deere, run a slaughterhouse, and deliver a baby calf, all without missing a beat or a St. Margaret’s Guild meeting.

Pete robustly adored her throughout their 52 years of marriage, making her laugh and her blue eyes twinkle. She was the calm presence to his animated antics; a stalwart wife and mother on whom he could rely for love, support, attention, guidance and true friendship.

An unassuming woman, she was steadfast in her support of her husband‘s pursuits and nimble enough in her own professional skills and financial acumen to foster success. She was a quiet source of strength for her family, offering unconditional love that was not merely showered upon us, rather, we were deluged by it. Her words matched her actions: precious, darling, beautiful, her loves.

Unpretentious, she was only “a snotty heifer,” (a Roxyism for snob) about ice cream brands and high thread count sheets, the latter thanks to her longtime employment by noted interior designer Suzanne Kasler.

From the cattle farm to Carmel from the Indianapolis apartment to the Big Apple, Roxy was never more at home than tucked alongside the White River: from her childhood home, just south of Holliday Park on Spring Mill Road, to her home with Pete in the caretaker’s cottage of the former Block estate just a a few doors down, to her church home and final resting place at St. Paul’s.

She will be remembered for her charge to us to “make memories.” She set the finest example, from establishing a perpetual grandkids camp at the base of their property called Bears Of Blue River, to taking us on family trips too numerous and generous to list, to spending one on one time with her grandchildren.

She was a ring-twirling worrier turned prayer warrior. Roxy’s faith and daily prayers enveloped each of her family and friends in a cadre of angels, so powerful they were palpable.

She will be missed but we will find her in the blue eyes of our family, Dairy Queen milkshakes, golden retriever tail wags, St. Croix bracelets, bacon and her signature perfume.

She is survived by her children, Jim (Dori), Jill, Sam, Mike (Jeanann); grandchildren Patrick (Monika), Matthew (Emily), Katie (Nick), Maggie (Drew), Sam P. And Meredith; great-grandchildren Cooper, Tucker, Harper, Ryan, Lucy, Hunter, Jack, Porter, Miller, Mabel, Sparks baby-to-be and angel George; sister Jan Thulin, sister-in-law Deborah Landers, stepbrothers Jack and Doug Reed, and a host of family and friends that lovingly called her Aunt Roxy.

Thank you to the dedicated staff at Solana for taking such good care of her.

In lieu of flowers, Roxy requested donations be made to the Sycamore Foundation: https://p2p.onecause.com/sycamorefoundation or to IndyHumane at indyhumane.org .

Visitation will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 29th with services to follow at 11 a.m. at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6050 North Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN. Livestream can be viewed at https://www.stpaulsindy.org/funeralstream. Arrangements are entrusted to Leppert Mortuary.