G. Birtel Dixon
12/23/56 - 5/7/09
G. Birtel Dixon
12/23/56 - 5/7/09
The Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen recently lost one of its most loyal members, Birtel Dixon. He was our one and only African American member for a long time, and was an active part of many of our fishouts and other activities. He loved Kennedy Meadows and Alpine Lake, and tied his own special flies, like the "Mr. Pinner Minner".
Whenever there was a barbecue or other event that involved food, Birtel was there, sharing his cooking talents freely. He was lively and funny, and whenever he was around, everybody had a good time.
Birtel was born in New York City, and was on his own at the tender age of only twelve. He lived by his wits, and always managed to land on his feet, despite some very tough times.
He came to Santa Cruz some years later and worked for the Santa Cruz Muni as a bus driver until a disability forced him to stop driving.
He then moved to Sacramento, where he realized a lifelong dream, buying his own home. He worked as a "Kay-Jay", a karaoke disk jockey, for six years, and was well known in the area and very popular.
The one thing that I, personally, admired about him was that despite all the bad things that happened to him throughout his life, I never once heard him utter a negative word. To say he was enthusiastic about life would be a gross understatement. He truly lived his life to the fullest, enjoyed himself in the moment, and was a joy to have known. The club is diminished by his demise, and those of us who had the privilege of knowing Birtel are deeply saddened by his death.
NOTICE: A celebration of Birtel's life will take place Sunday, June 7th, at 1:00 PM, at the Aptos Grange, 2555 Mar Vista Dr., Aptos. All friends and family of Birtel are invited to attend.