Dwight Robinson Dixon

Dwight Robinson Dixon, a longtime resident of Provo and Orem, retired Brigham Young University professor, and head of a loving family, passed away near Ogden on September 3.

Born in Manard, Idaho on June 16, 1919, to Riley Lyman Dixon and Alva Retta Robinson Dixon. In 1949 married Doris Louis Bergstrom, who died in 2007. Six children—Deanna (William McClure), Paul (Barbara Hart), Glenn (Julie Boekweg), Thomas (Janice Hill), Helen and James (Debi Browning) - survive. Dwight and Doris were blessed with 34 grandchildren, and 43 great-grandchildren. Three of Dwight’s sisters survive him (Lois Bird, Dot Dahn, and Del Ora Johnson), while a brother and a sister (Clifton Dixon and Beth Cheney) have preceded him in death.

Dwight earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Utah State University in 1942, and a doctorate in the same field from the University of California at Berkeley in 1955.

A devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout his life, Dwight served a mission in the Eastern States just after World War II, providing sound engineering for the newly revived Hill Cumorah Pageant. He and Doris also served a mission in Frankfort, Germany in 1988-89.

During World War II, he worked for Sperry Gyroscope as an engineer, and designed a LORAN (long-range navigation) receiver for Navy ships. After earning his doctorate, he worked for Schlumberger designing oil-well instrumentation in Houston, and again for Sperry in New York and Salt Lake City, before joining the physics faculty at Brigham Young in 1959. Besides teaching nuclear physics, conducting research in that area, and directing numerous graduate students, he also enjoyed participating in the acoustics group in the physics department. He retired from BYU in 1984.

As a boy in Idaho, he bought a violin with his own earnings, and began a life-long fascination with stringed instruments, which included playing violin and viola, studying acoustical properties of the instruments, and building a handful of violins and violas. He played viola briefly in the Utah Valley Symphony Orchestra. For several years after retirement, he operated Classic Violin Shop, a resource for players and school orchestra programs in Utah Valley. Making music continues to be a source of enjoyment for all of his children, and many grandchildren.

Another strong avocation was amateur radio, which also continues to be an interest of several children and grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, September 9, 2013 at the Parkway 4th Ward Chapel, 2876 West 1390 North, Provo, Utah. Friends may call at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center Street, Sunday from 6-8:00 p.m. and at the church Monday from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent at www.bergmortuary.com.