Dixie Dawn Burke was born in Pendleton, Oregon, on December 18, 1940, the second of four siblings. Dixie grew up in a tightly-knit family where each person was blessed with a talent for singing and playing a musical instrument. Dixie learned early on how to play the piano while her father famously played the guitar, often performing folk songs for the family and in the local community.  Dixie would later go on to play the piano in church and sing in the choir. 

Family was the cornerstone of Dixie's life, and she was happiest in the company of her loved ones. Early in life, she married Curt Buell, creating a home in The Dalles, Oregon, where they had two children, Terry and Michelle. Although Dixie and Curt eventually went their separate ways, they remained lifelong friends. Later, when Dixie moved to Seattle, she found love again with Dave Burke, celebrating their union in a memorable Hawaiian ceremony, followed by a month-long honeymoon. Dixie's dedication to family was profound, embracing her role as a grandmother with joy, caring for her grandchildren, Kendall, Delaney, Nafiseh, and Amir, and proudly witnessing their milestones.

Throughout her life, Dixie embraced the pursuit of knowledge in all its forms, weaving together her innate generosity towards others with the practical skills required for her livelihood. An LPN by profession, Dixie worked in various nursing settings, including the maternity ward, where she played a crucial role in delivering babies. Later, Dixie assisted with the accounting in her husband Dave's transmission business until their retirement. Even in retirement, she continued to serve, working at the Senior Center in Lynnwood, Washington.

Away from work, Dixie reveled in football, rooting for the Seahawks at the old Kingdome and the Huskies at the University of Washington's Husky Stadium. A lifelong enthusiast of small theater, she frequently attended local plays and musicals with friends and family members.  An avid traveler, Dixie's fascination with diverse cultures took her to many countries, including Egypt, Japan, and Mexico.

If heaven is a place where the things we dream of come true, then perhaps Dixie's heaven is a cozy place where she sings and reminisces with her parents, Sam and Beatrice, and her older brother, Bob, nostalgically awaiting the day she reunites with those she left behind. Dixie was a remarkable individual whose legacy of love, sacrifice, and kindness will be treasured by all fortunate enough to have known her.

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