Dixie Lee Joyner

December 4, 1941 - June 8, 2023

Dixie Lee Joyner left this world on June 8, 2023. She died peacefully at her beloved Bob’s home in Nashville, Tennessee.

Because of her big love for us, she leaves a huge hole in our lives. Dixie, born in Lewistown, Montana, on December 4, 1941, was the first born daughter of Donald Pierce and Camille Crowley, little sister to John Charles and big sister to Camille Jane. Dixie spent 81 years of her life exploring the world, creating thousands of friendships and making people laugh!

Dixie was a smart, adorable little girl with her piercing blue eyes and blonde curly hair. She was precocious and curious. She loved school and remained in contact with many elementary and high school friends, including her first grade teacher, who has now outlived Dixie. Having moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida at age four, Dixie graduated from Stranahan High School in 1959. Many stories from her high school years about her dear friends, parties at the beach, hanging out at their backyard pool and going to dances will remain with us.

Dixie liked to sing, to entertain, to make friends and to give to others. She was a life-long singer, singing in the car with her dad to singing with the Stranahan Chorus and traveling around the Northwest with the Sweet Adeline’s. After she entered hospice, Dixie continued to entertain her loved ones with her singing at the top of her lungs, which also cleared her lungs and kept them strong.

As for entertaining, she loved it! Dixie never met a stranger and with her remarkable gift of conversation, she made dear friends as far away as Australia and Scotland and as close as next door. Dixie embraced the conversation technologies of Facebook, Facetime and texting, keeping in touch with everyone 24/7. After starting hospice in March, Dixie connected with friends and family and received guests from Maine, Montana, Texas, Florida and Australia.

She was an almost 50 year friend of Bill W. and encouraged so many of his friends throughout the decades. Constantly sharing her experience, strength and hope and telling Bill’s friends to take it one day at a time and supporting Lois’s friends that they too, could get through life if they kept it simple.

Dixie didn’t let moss grow under her feet. She was one of the fastest walkers God ever put on this earth. As a career dental hygienist, she traveled all over the USA and Montana sharing her passion for dental care, proper brushing and flossing. She would give of her own time and money to help those who could not afford dental care. After retirement, she volunteered at Council on Aging and the hospital. She also began extensive travel to Ireland and Scotland, her favorite countries, as well as her bucket list trips to China and Australia and trips too many to count to cities all over America. A favorite thing was to take family and friends to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Knowing all the ins and outs, she shared the best picture spots and wildlife viewing areas.

And Dixie was generous beyond measure. She would give you the shoes off her feet or the shirt off her back or at least order you one like it and ship it to you. If she liked a product, she bought it in multiples and shared with her loved ones. She was generous with her time, hosting hours long coffee chats in her home, traveling across the country to see friends and family, writing thank you notes and other “real” letters and always making time for phone calls, hugs and kisses.

In 2015, Dixie reconnected with a college boyfriend, Bob Thorburn, and they packed more love, fun and adventure in eight years than most will pack into a lifetime. Bob was truly the love of her life. She was made complete by his love for her.

Dixie Lee Joyner will be remembered for many things: her sense of direction akin to a homing pigeon, her photographic memory, her devotion to jigsaw and Sudoku puzzles, her wonderful gift of hospitality and yet, her lack of cooking ability, a wolf whistle that made your ears ring, her middle finger, her keen and often irreverent sense of humor, which led to infectious giggling, which usually led to her wetting her pants, her unmistakable handwriting, her dedication to higher education and her support of many students of Central Montana in their college and trade school endeavors.

Dixie they threw away the mold after your birth and through your life thousands of people were blessed. You leave behind, your beloved Bob, your cat, Marti, your brother, John (Marceil), your sister, Jane, nieces and nephews, Jill (Mark), Jayla (Clint) and Mark (Jennifer), grandnephews and grandnieces, Barrett (Hope), Tucker, Bridger, Camille, Brynlee, Natalie and Kate and finally, great grandniece, Camille Joy and hundreds of friends. In lieu of flowers, give a college kid some money, take a friend out for a meal, handwrite a letter, pay for dental work for a friend or donate to your local Council on Aging. Whatever you do in memory of Dixie make sure there is a smile on your face.

The family is extremely grateful to Dixie’s hospice nurses, Tara and Jody from Alive Hospice and her caregivers, Linda and Brandon, for making Dixie comfortable and cared for so our time with her could be more relaxed and fun.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 16 at 1:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Lewistown, Montana, which will be livestreamed with a reception to follow. A weenie roast and service will be held at a time to be determined at Little Gasparilla Island.