Hamilton Smith Dixon

Hamilton Smith Dixon, MD, a longtime Rome physician, passed away on March 8, 2026, at the age of 91. Born December 10, 1934, in Syracuse, New York, he lived a life marked by professional dedication, intellectual curiosity, and an enduring enthusiasm for the pursuits he loved.

He attended Onondaga Valley Academy, graduating in 1951. He continued his education at Syracuse University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in 1955. While there he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, rowed on the university’s crew team, and was elected to Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national premedical honorary society.

He received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1959 from the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center College of Medicine in Syracuse.

Dr. Dixon served in the United States Air Force as Chief of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the 7333rd USAF Hospital in Évreux, France from 1964 to 1967.

After completing his military service, he established a medical practice in Rome, Georgia, where he cared for patients for more than four decades. Beginning in 1967, he practiced otolaryngology and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery until 2011, later also practicing in Ellijay, Georgia beginning in 2006.

He was board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology in 1968 and later by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery in 1989, with additional qualifications in allergy through the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. His work was recognized with the Instruction Course Honor Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in 1981 and the President’s Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy in 1994. Throughout his career he remained active in many professional organizations including the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Neurotology Society, the Triological Society, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, American Rhinologic Society, the American Medical Association, and the Medical Association of Georgia.

In recognition of his humanitarian interests, he was knighted in 1988 as a Knight Commander of Grace of the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, London Priory.

Outside of medicine, Ham remained devoted to rowing, a passion that began at Syracuse and continued throughout his life. Rome’s setting at the meeting of the Etowah, Oostanaula, and Coosa Rivers made it a natural home for the sport he loved. He competed in sculling events beginning in the early 1980s and was active in the Atlanta Rowing Club and later the Rome Rowing Club. In Rome he founded the rowing program at Berry College, serving as volunteer head coach from 1991 to 2011. He helped transform the old city waterworks building into a modern rowing boathouse.

He was also a gifted musician, an accomplished organist and pianist, and his home often became an informal concert hall during gatherings with family and friends.

Ham held a lifelong appreciation for classic automobiles, particularly British motorcars. In addition to collecting and maintaining several Morgan and Rolls-Royce automobiles, he operated Hamilton Classics, Ltd., an antique and classic automobile restoration shop, from 1977 to 1980. He remained active for decades in the Antique Automobile Club of America, the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, and the Franklin Automobile Club.

He also loved time on the water and spent many summers at Lake Allatoona as a longtime member of the Allatoona Yacht Club, where he enjoyed classic Chris-Craft wooden boats and early mornings rowing across the quiet lake.

Ham was an enthusiastic student of wine, maintaining a well-stocked cellar and hosting many gatherings centered around good wine, conversation, and hospitality.

Ham was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 69 years, Barbara Jane Dixon; his son Jonathan Dixon; his father, Joseph Jackson Dixon; his mother, Virginia Lancaster Smith Dixon; and his sister, Elena Dixon.

He is survived by his children Diana Dixon Kelley, Kristie Dixon, Hamilton S. Dixon, Jr.(Carli), and Graham Dixon (Mike), as well as a multitude of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson.

To those who knew him best, he was far more than a physician. He was a man of enormous drive and curiosity who threw himself fully into the things he loved. He could often be found on the water with an oar in his hands, at the keyboard filling a room with music, or in the garage tending to one of the machines he so admired. Summers were spent chasing regattas across the Southeast, winters competing on the erg, and evenings often ended with a glass of good wine and lively conversation among family and friends. His home was a place of music, laughter, competition, and hospitality.

His life carried the rhythm of oars on water, music in a room, and engines in a quiet garage… the old Silver Wraith he loved so much. The depth of his presence and his love and devotion to family will continue to reflect in the lives of those who knew him.

A Receiving of Friends and Family will be held at First Baptist Church of Rome, 100 E 4th Ave, Rome, Georgia 30161, on March 21, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

A Memorial Service will be held at First Baptist Church of Rome, 100 E 4th Ave, Rome, Georgia 30161, on March 21, 2026, at 11:00 am.

Donations can be made to the William S. Davies Shelter at https://daviesshelter.com/ or flowers may be sent to First Baptist Church of Rome.