Ethel M. Dixon

Ethel M. Dixon (nee Shaw), 85, of Port St Lucie, Florida was called to her eternal rest on June 8, 2022. Born September 1, 1936 in the District of Cornwall Mountain, in the Parish of Westmoreland, in the Caribbean country, Jamaica, to Rachel Dewar and Archer Simonette Shaw. She was an only child, but a beloved, Mother, Grandmother, Stepmother, Aunt, and Cousin, affectionately known as “Grandma” or “Aunt Ettie”.

Determined to use her education as a pathway out of poverty, Ethel made her way to the capital, Kingston, Jamaica, where she earned her Teaching Degree from Mico Teachers College in 1963. She returned to Westmoreland and began teaching primary school in Grange Hill. Her passion for children was on full display as she planted seeds of inspiration to a multitude of children in Jamaica, England and here in Florida as a Foster Grandmother for the St. Lucie County School District. In Jamaica, she also worked as a teaching supervisor for Jamal, a literacy program for adults.

In 1965, Ethel married Noel G. Dixon, a Mechanical Engineer and widower she was introduced to while he worked at the neighboring Sugar Plant in Frome. They migrated to London; England as was the custom for Caribbean English subjects to find job opportunities. In England, she welcomed a daughter, Charmaine Noella and a son, Noel Jr.

Always seeking a better quality of life, the family migrated back to St Catherine, Jamaica living in the Alcan planned community of Pleasant Farm. In 1977 they settled in Boston, Massachusetts. After 33 years of marriage, Ethel relocated to Port St Lucie, FL in 1999 after the death of her dearly departed husband, Noel. Ethel retired from the Claims Department for Commercial Union Insurance in Quincy, Mass.

Throughout the years, Ethel hosted many family gatherings and delighted in setting a proper dinner table as she was trained. Every Christmas she baked her special fruit cakes laboring into the night, mailing cakes out to family near and far. She was a wonderful conversationalist who would listen and advise young and old. Her point of view was direct, she was very frank and not afraid to give you her honest, heartfelt opinion.

Always reading and learning she earned her certificate in Port St Lucie as a Certified Nursing Assistant in 2000. She was a long-time member of Holy Faith Episcopal Church where she developed a flare for talent as a florist serving on the Floral Ministry. In 2010, she manned the phones for the Barack Obama campaign. A card-carrying Democrat, and naturalized US citizen she believed in the ideals of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Ethel never missed an episode of “The Bachelor” or “The View”. She was a patron of the arts, a supporter of South Florida PBS, St Labre Indian School, and The Salvation Army.

Ethel was beloved because she loved people. She never forgot her humble beginnings or her family still living in Jamaica sending what she could as often as she could. Never one for the spotlight, her words of wisdom, her heart for the poor, especially poor children and her regal disposition will not be soon forgotten. Her passion for education bloomed in her children and stepchildren who graduated from Harvard, Brown, Wesleyan and Johnson and Wales University.

She leaves behind her daughter, son and beloved grandson, Amare. Stepchildren: Lorna, Yasmin, Cheryl and Courtney; her beloved cousins Betty and Tonita, a family of nieces, nephews, cousins, church family members, classmates, friends and neighbors.

Rest well, Mrs. Dixon, you have left an exemplary legacy of love, faith and service for us to remember and follow now and for generations to come.