William "Bill" Dixon

Durden-Hudson Funeral Directors announces the death of Mr. William “Bill” Allen Dixon, age 90, of Swainsboro on Monday, January 27,2025 at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro.

Funeral and committal services for Mr. Dixon will be conducted on Thursday, January 30,2025 at 2:00 PM at Durden-Hudson Funeral Directors, Peebles-Curry Memorial Chapel with Reverend Casey Shaw officiating and Reverend Mark Hardin.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at Durden-Hudson Funeral Directors.  Burial will be in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Dellwood immediately following the service. Honorary pall bearers will be members of the Jimmy Morgan Steadfast Sunday School Class.  

Bill was born in Cairo, Grady County, Georgia, May 14, 1934. He graduated from Cairo High School in 1952. He was Salutatorian of his senior class and played the trombone with the Cairo High School Marching Band.

He joined the United States Army on June 15,1955 and remained on active duty until April 12, 1957. He then served in the Reserves and was honorably discharged May 31, 1963. While in service, he was known as Billy Dixon.  He was in the 101st Airborne Division and went through three months of basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC, followed by 3 months of specialized training in Radio Telegraphy Operation, where he learned Morse Code.  He finished first in his class and his aunt was greatly surprised when a Commandant showed up in a limousine at her front door to present the award for this achievement.  He was then assigned to Okinawa and went overseas on the USS General A. E. Anderson. When he arrived in Okinawa, his ship received a welcome and then he was reassigned to Korea. When he arrived in Korea, he was assigned to personnel in the First Field Artillery Observation Battalion stationed just North of the 38th parallel.  He spent eighteen months in Korea and then returned to the States where he spent two years in the active reserves and was assigned to the 30th Hospital Unit in Atlanta.

Upon discharge from the Army, he began his business career in advertising and attended the Georgia School of Business Administration (now Georgia State University), where he met his wife of 64 years, Edna Mae Smith of Swainsboro, GA.  Over the course of his career, he served in various accounting positions, retiring from Wallace Computer Services in Metter, GA.

He was a member of Swainsboro First Baptist Church since 1974 where he had taught Sunday School, was Director of the Senior Adult Ladies Sunday School Department, was a member of the Senior Adult Choir, and served on many church committees for many years.

He was an avid gardener who loved spending time outdoors tending to his roses, camellias, and azaleas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters and two brothers.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Edna Mae Smith Dixon; two daughters: Edna Lynn Dixon of Statesboro and Alicia Ann Bannevans (“Packy”) of Bishop, GA and grandson Garrett Rollin Bannevans of Bishop, GA and several nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Georgia Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries, 9420 Blackshear Highway SE, Baxley, GA  31513.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.durden-hudsonfuneraldirectors.com.

Durden-Hudson Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements for Mr. William “Bill” Dixon of Swainsboro.

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