Dolores G. Dixon

DOLORES BRANGMAN DIXON – CELEBRATION OF LIFE

A beautiful soul came into this world on August 7, 1930. Dolores Brangman was born to Lillian

Ratteray Brangman and Oscar Brangman in New York, New York. Her parents had emigrated

from Bermuda one year before, looking for more opportunities. The small family settled in

Brooklyn, where Oscar was a house painter and Lillian was a housewife.

Later, two more daughters were born, Eunace and Lenore. The three girls led a charmed life in

Brooklyn, and Dolores often spoke about her happy childhood and years of being a “Brooklyn

Girl.” She ALWAYS identified as a proud Brooklynite as well as a loyal Bermudian who visited

her grandmother, aunts, uncles and hosts of other cousins, friends, and relatives in Bermuda.

Dolores was also a devout Christian who regularly attended St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.

Later, even as dementia set in, she fondly remembered Father Benedict and the Sunday church

services she attended.

Dolores attended Thomas Jefferson High School, where she was popular among a diverse

group of students. Her yearbook described her as “personality plus, without any fuss,” and she

was named “Frenchy” because of her favorite language arts subject. After graduating from High

School, she worked at the Brooklyn Public Library. Always inquisitive, and a lover of language,

this was the perfect job for her. She often spoke of those days of work and play – working at the

library by day and lindy hopping at the Savoy by night.

In 1959, she married Robert Dixon and two years later, her only child, Melody, came along. A

sweet and doting mother, she often read to her daughter in French and spent time trying to

teach her little girl to knit and crochet. Unfortunately, Melody never learned French nor the

knitting, but she still has fond memories of those days.

In the late sixties, Dolores earned her associate’s degree in business administration from

Brooklyn College. This accented her career of secretarial and administrative work from which

she retired.

Although Dolores’ later years were marked by mental and physical challenges, she never lost

her sweet spirit and love of life. Every morning, she rose and would always say, “I’m so happy

to be here!” Dementia may have robbed her of many wonderful memories, but it didn’t take

away her knowing who she was and who her daughter was. Nor did it deter her love of God

and the church. Until the day she died, she could recite The Lord’s Prayer word-for-word with

ease.

Today, we celebrate Dolores Dixon. She leaves behind a legion of family and friends who

cherished her and will miss her dearly…her daughter Melody, grandsons Robert and Richard,

grand daughter-in-law Kelsey, great grandson Anthony, her step daughters Robin and Katrina,

her niece JoAnn Fashina, nephews Douglas and Kemmet Reed, and a host of other

grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins, and friends here in the U.S. and in Bermuda.