It is with great sadness that we share that our friend and former colleague, Katherine “Kay” Dalton Dixon, lost her battle with cancer in June of this year while surrounded by her loving family and friends. If you attended an event at Stroud Water Research Center during the last decade, there is no doubt that Kay was there to greet you with a welcoming smile and her signature white hair.
As an integral member of the Stroud Center team, Kay was the associate director of development from 2001 until her retirement in 2019. She was often the first person to welcome visitors to the Stroud Center, whether it was an employee on their first day or a newcomer to an event.
Kay was an energetic force behind the scenes, helping to organize Stroud Center events such as golf outings, the Water’s Edge gala, guest lectures and seminars, tours, film festivals, barbecues, and many other functions. Kay was also an amazing photographer who documented the Stroud Center’s activities and achievements with her pictures.
Each summer, Kay would make a point to sit and have lunch with the new interns, learning all about their lives and future dreams. She always came up with a fun story to share at our annual potluck lunch, where we were asked to share one fact with the group that no one else knew (no easy feat when you were as friendly as Kay or had her tenure at the Stroud Center!). A favorite was learning that she was taking archery lessons with some of her girlfriends!
Even in her retirement, Kay was deeply dedicated to the Stroud Center’s mission and one of our greatest cheerleaders. We have regularly received calls from someone on Kay’s recommendation.
Kay was a mother, grandmother, sister, nature and animal lover, reader, gardener, traveler, and a wonderful friend to many. She will be greatly missed by all of us here at the Stroud Center, and our thoughts are with her friends and family during this difficult time. There will be a private celebration of Kay’s life for her friends and family.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites contributions to Stroud Water Research Center to honor Kay’s legacy.
