Dixie Jo Zahorik was born on February 22, 1952, in Paragould, Ark. She could be described as nothing less than southern royalty and a beautiful little girl. In one of her favorite childhood portraits, she is poised elegantly in a sparkling blue dress holding a single rose – wearing the same smile that others recognized all her life. Dixie’s beauty was and is timeless.
Dixie loved music from a young age and had an amazing singing voice. After moving to Iowa at age 14, she went on to attend Cornell College for her vocal ability. Dixie’s love of music carried on throughout her life and her family can remember watching musicals, operas, and of course listening to the classics with her.
One always learned an immense amount of history beyond what was shown in the movies or decipherable through music from her many stories. That talent for storytelling went much further than the music. Dixie had a way of telling a story that painted a picture so vivid that you felt you were right there with her. She had a way of personalizing every detail of her experiences and was not afraid to share her wisdom and memories with others. Dixie would tell stories about her early life in Arkansas or her life in Iowa and break into the most wonderful laughter – the kind that made you want to laugh with her, not just because she was hilarious (and she was!), but because her laughter was beautifully contagious. Dixie was well known for her humor and ability to turn any conversation into an opportunity to smile.
Dixie loved spending time with family and her wonderful husband of 38 years, John Zahorik. An immensely empathic and caring person, many considered her a second mother and a faithful confidant. She loved and cared for anything and everything. Walk into Dixie’s home or garden and see her amazing ability for nurturing plants – she could name the species of every plant. Dixie also loved animals and cared for many beloved pets over the years. Dixie loved her collections and had an elaborate curation of unique hummingbirds and elephants as well as a talent for crafting.
Dixie is survived by her loving husband, John; mother, JoAnn Finch; siblings, Julie Brown, Suzie Davis, and Adam Davis (Brett Mauk); daughter, Jennifer Brown (Kyle Ditch); her grandchildren, Kyla Boddicker (Chase), Jared Zahorik, Brett Zahorik, and Jake Zahorik; Dixie is also survived by honorary daughter, Danielle Huber; her dear friends, Galeen and Lawrence Kamberling, Maureen Petrick, and Kate Martin; she is also survived by her nieces/nephew, Chelsea Jamison (Rich), Gretchen Tedrow (Kirk), and Brett Brown; and grandnieces/nephews Lily May Brown, Allison Meyer (Seth), Lui Brown, Jonah Brown, Avery Tedrow, and Finley Tedrow.
Dixie was surrounded by family, friends, and her husband John when she passed away. Ultimately, the number of lives that Dixie influenced and the number of people who consider her family is insurmountable. Dixie’s memory will continue on through the many people who love her.