Geraldine Fine Dixon

Geraldine Fine Dixon was born to her loving parents, Watie L Fine and Mae (Harrell) Fine of Sallisaw, Oklahoma on May 16, 1934. Early on in her childhood, her mother, Mae, was remarried and they lived near the Find Pawn shop of Sallisaw in a large white house with a wrap around porch. As legend would have it, Geraldine spent the night with her mother’s relative, Georgia M. Fine at Redcloud Fleetwood’s house one evening when the sheriff raided the house for bootlegging. Geraldine recalled that evening as she, her Aunt Georgia, and Redcloud were frantically pouring out bottles of moonshine during the raid. Geraldine was affectionally considered the youngest bootlegger in Sequoyah County to her family!

Geraldine was as smart as a whip, graduating from Sallisaw High School in 1950 at the age of sixteen. Shortly after graduation, her father gave his blessing for her to marry Richard L. Dixon, a 20 year-old student attending Conner College in Warner, Oklahoma. Geraldine attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. Richard and Geraldine welcomed their son, William Lee Dixon in December of 1952. Her young husband joined the U.S. Navy where they became a military family for a short time.

Richard, Geraldine, and William made a life in Modesto, California from the 1960s to 1990s where Geraldine worked as an insurance supervisor for Gould Medical Group and Richard worked as a shop teacher for Oakdale schools. They had a wonderful family life with William growing up with his closest cousins, Jim Howard, Dede James, Tom Spriggs, Ray Dixon, Marci Dixon, and Alice Dixon-Lawson. They were known for hosting many tailgaters, especially when the University of Oklahoma was planning ball! Aunt Geri was known for making the best banana pudding, fried chicken, and Okie stew. But most of all, she was the biggest OU fan always leading the family with the Boomer Sooner cheers with her big voice and unforgettable laughter!

In the 1990s, Geraldine and Richard settled back in Sallisaw to be close to William upon his relocating to Tulsa. It was then that Geraldine reconnected with her Fine family roots attending OU football and OKC Thunder games with her Sallisaw relatives. Upon William’s passing in 2006, she and Richard relocated to Edmond where she and Richard were known to tell amazing stories, joke and laugh and love with everyone they came in contact with.

Geraldine was the sunshine and sparkle in her father’s eye as she continuously smiled and brought joy to all that knew her. She gave Big Love to all in her life, and for that she will live on in all of us. Big Love to you Geraldine for a life well lived!

From Geraldine’s brother, Mike Fine: Best person you could ever meet. Loved her with all my heart! I already miss talking to her everyday. I was truly blessed having the opportunity to assist in taking care of Geraldine for the last eight years! MF

From Geraldine’s brother, Gary D. Fine:  Geraldine was a special person! She was truly a ray of sunshine filled with Love for all of her family, never arrogant, never mean spirited, and never boastful! She was fun and always full of life! Her life had gone significantly down the past two years or so and she was looking forward to being reunited with her son William and her faithful husband! She has departed for her Heavenly home where there is no pain and suffering and no unhappiness. Praise Jesus who saves us all. Thank you, Geraldine for your sisterhood and 75 years of friendship and fun times. GF

From Geraldine’s niece, Kimberly Fine Eppes: My Aunt G, she was a gem. Her smile was contagious. We love her so much. When I had Gordon, the joy on her face for that boy was priceless. She loved him with her whole heart. My favorite thing she always said, “Love you Big”. She was the BEST story teller! I’ll never forget some of her stories. I loved having a glass of wine with her and getting silly! My heart is broken. She put a stamp on my heart that will never be removed with her kind heart, her empathy, her compassion, her strong will, and simply being our Aunt G. She’s loved and missed so much! Love you Big Aunt G.- Kimberly

List of Family Members: Geraldine was preceded in death by her only child, William Dixon, who passed away July 29, 2006, her husband, Richard Lee Dixon, who passed away on January 17, 2016, her father, Watie Fine and mother, Mae (Harrell) Fine Chappell. She is survived by her sister, Jean Whitaker of Sallisaw, brother Gary Fine and his wife Pat of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, sister Vickie Cantrell and her husband Gary of Sallisaw, her brother, Mike Fine of Norman, Oklahoma and former sister-in-law Kathy Fine of Edmond, Oklahoma. She also leaves behind the following nieces and nephews: Jim Howard and wife Teresa of Santa Rosa, CA; Dede James and husband Jon of Pleasanton, CA; Tom Spriggs and wife Rosie of Muskogee, OK; Ray Dixon and wife Cathy of Mount Juliet, TN; Marci Dixon of Philadelphia, PA; Alice Dixon-Lawson of Albuquerque, NM; Shelly Kantola and husband Ron daughter Jessica of Ft. Smith, AR; Jamie Horning and husband Bill Simmons sons James David and Brayden Horning of Dunkirk, MD; Jeff Fine and wife Tarah children Cole, Stella, and Crew of Norman, OK; Chris Fine of Oklahoma City, OK; Kimberly Fine Eppes and husband Adam children Gordon and Georgia of Edmond, OK.

Graveside service is Friday, May 30, 2025, at 2 pm at Sallisaw City Cemetery under the direction of Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Home in Sallisaw. Viewing will be 10 AM - 8 PM Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Home in Sallisaw, OK.