Major Keith Aaron Dixon

Major Keith A. Dixon, U.S. Army Reserves and Deputy Program Manager (Ret), Office of the Secretary of Transportation, United States of America Keith Aaron Dixon was born on July 17, 1960 to the late James Edward Dixon Sr., and Alice Marie Page Dixon in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the 10th child and a twin of eleven children: Johanne, James Jr., Michael, Marvin, Warren, Wanda, Thomas, Teresa, Karen, and Jeffery. God called for Keith to come home and depart this mortal life suddenly, peacefully, and silently on Sunday, Feb 11, 2024 in Gainesville, Virginia. Keith was born and baptized at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore Maryland. He accepted Christ at an early age and was a member of the St. Martin’s Roman Catholic Church in Baltimore, Maryland. As a youngster, Keith was very energetic and inquisitive. Always ready and willing to help others. From kindergarten to second grade, he attended Bentalou Elementary School Number 150 in Baltimore City until his family moved back to Catonsville, Maryland, and Keith with his three other siblings (Thomas, Teresa, and Karen) attended Johnnycake Elementary School (now Southwestern Academy). Back in April 1968, he was part of the first group of Black students to attend Johnnycake Elementary School; all riding one bus. It was such a big deal that the principal of Johnnycake Elementary came to visit Keith’s parents to make sure his family were in the correct housing zone. Nevertheless, Keith’s savviness as a youngster was so welcoming that Keith became the first Black student selected to be the Student Council President in the 6th grade (1972). Keith went on to attend Johnnycake Junior and later his parents transferred Keith and his two sisters to Catonsville Junior High. While in his Junior High days Keith participated on the local Recreational Wrestling Team. It was here Keith would find out he was a gifted athlete and met a coach named Neil Adelberg. Coach Adelberg convinced Keith’s parents to send him to Mount Saint Joe (MSJ) High School, Baltimore, Maryland. At MSJ Keith became a National Wrestling Champion, receiving many awards at the regional and national levels. While attending MSJ, Keith met lifelong friends that have remained his wrestling brothers 40+ years later. On August 18, 2018 Keith was selected and enshrined into the Mt Saint Joe Hall of Fame for his many accolades as a Student/Scholar Athlete from 1975-1978. Due to his wrestling athletics, Keith received many scholarships upon graduating from MSJ School. After great thought, Keith chose Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, PA and enrolled at Penn State Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T. C.) Program. Keith continued wrestling for two years while at LHU, but later decided to try Boxing in the welterweight category. LHU was also where Keith pledged the Divine 9 Fraternity of Kappa Alpha Psi, Spring of 1980. Keith received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1981 and a Bachelor Arts in Counseling in 1982. Keith served in the Active US Army for 10 years as a Military Police Officer (MP). During Keith’s active-duty service obligation, Keith attended the Basic and Advanced Military Police Officer Course, the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Master Fitness Trainers Course, and the Combined Arms Services Staff School. A few of Lieutenant Keith Dixon’s; and later Captain Dixon’s assignments included: Tactical Military Police Officer, Grafenwoehr Germany; Small Group Leader and Team Chief, Command and Tactics Division, Department of the Advanced Military Police Training, United States Army Military Police School; and Commander Company A, 787th Military Police Battalion, Training Brigade, Fort McClennan, Alabama; and Joint Staff Officer, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. In this position Captain Keith Dixon was assigned to support the then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell, the first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States of America. Upon completing his Joint Staff Officer assignment, Captain Dixon was assigned as the Commandant/ Detachment Commander, Headquarters, United States Army Criminal Investigation Command in Arlington, Virginia. Captain Keith Dixon’s military awards include: the Meritorious Service Medal (1st Oak Leaf Cluster); the Joint Service Commendation Medal; the Army Commendation Medal (1st Oak Leaf Cluster); the Joint Service Achievement Medal; the Army Achievement Medal (2nd Oak Leaf Cluster); the Army Service Ribbon; the Overseas Service Ribbon; the National Defense Service Medal; the Armed Forces Reserve Medal; the Joint Chiefs of Staff Badge; the Parachutist Badge; and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. Captain Dixon received an Honorable Discharge after 10 years of Active Duty and completed an Inactive Army Reserve designation in August 2003, and received an Honorable Discharge as a Major, U. S. Army, Reserves. In 1991 Keith met his lifelong partner George Mitchell Hummel, who remained his partner for 34 years. Keith and George married on August 3, 2020, in a private ceremony at their home in Gainesville, Virginia. From 1992- 2000 Keith was an entrepreneur trying many different opportunities and landed a position with the Alexandria, VA Schools System at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Keith served as Chief Security Officer and Wrestling Team Coach. In 2000 Keith would begin a career with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) that would last 20 years, until his retirement. Keith’s final position was as Deputy Program Manager for National Continuity Programs within the Office of Intelligence, Security, Emergency Response, Office of the Secretary of Transportation, United States Department of Transportation. Keith was cited for outstanding job performance as the first U.S. Department of Transportation National Security Professional and accepted into the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University (NDU). In this role Keith completed the ten-month long Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies program at the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University (Graduating Class of 2010). The mission of the College of International Security Affairs (CISA) is to provide selected interagency civilians with a common knowledge of national and multinational strategic challenges across multiple threat environments. Keith received many awards and accolades throughout his 20-year career with the U.S. DoT. Keith was preceded in death by his—mother Alice Page Dixon; father, James Edward Dixon Sr.; three brothers; Jimmy, Marvin, and Jeffery; two sisters Johanne and Teresa and several of his labrador and mixed four legged companions; Jazmin, Eisha, Maxx, Romeo, Zeus, Channel, Ramsey, Rex, Ringo, Stormy, and Mathias. He is survived by his husband George, his twin sister Karen, and a sister Wanda, three brothers; Michael, Warren, and Thomas; a mother -in-law Susan, one-brother-in-law, Mark; three sisters-in-law, Robin, Alethea, and Charise; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends. The Celebration of Life and U.S. Army Honors will be held on Saturday, Feb 24, 2024 from 11:15AM-2:30 PM EST at the Lansdowne Resort, Ballroom B (Golf Club Entrance Area) 44060 Woodridge Parkway, Leesburg, VA 20176. In lieu of other condolences please consider donating to the VCAHealthyPaws-Angel Fund in honor of Major Keith Dixon, US Army Reserves.

Major Keith Aaron Dixon

July 17, 1960 - February 11, 2024