PERU — Cold War veteran and Peru resident Allen Henry Dixon, 85, donated a 2016 Dodge wheelchair van to Homeward Bound Adirondacks, a nonprofit Veterans organization serving veterans since 2011.
“The wheelchair belonged to his wife, who had recently passed away. (Allen) said it was hard for him to part with the van, but he wanted to help other disabled veterans in need with transportation,” Homeward Bound Administrative Assistant Angie Terry said.
“We here at Homeward Bound Adirondacks are extremely thankful for Mr. Dixon’s generosity.”
Allen said he wanted to give new purpose to the van.
“It sat in the driveway for four years. She passed away in ‘22, and I didn’t use it for anything. I just kept the plates on it and insurance on it and run it every once in awhile and get it inspected,” he said.
“It was the right thing to do. I didn’t want it to rot in the driveway.”
BACKSTORY
Allen was born Aug. 29, 1940, the second of five children of Edward and Anna Dixon in Brooklyn, where he attended St. Francis of Assisi School and Erasmus Hall High School for one year before earning a GED in the U.S. Air Force.
After boot camp, he was stationed in Korea then the Plattsburgh Air Force Base, where he was an inventory management specialist at Base Supply.
BOY MEETS GIRL
One night, at Brodi’s Bar and Restaurant, a popular hangout for air personnel, he met Marion Elizabeth Lyons, the daughter of Fred and Lillian Lyons of Peru.
She grew up on Lyons Road and graduated from Peru High School in 1954, later graduating from Plattsburgh Business School.
They married May 27, 1960 at St. Augustine’s Church, and the newlyweds helped to run the family dairy farm. They raised three children – David Dixon, DeeDee Bleaux and Michael Dixon.
CIVILIAN LIFE
The Airman First Class separated from the service in 1963 and went to work for Georgia-Pacific, where he retired as a converting supervisor after a 32-year career.
His wife worked at Aird Dorrance in Morrisonville for a few years before becoming a social worker in the Town of Plattsburgh. She finished her career at the Clinton County Department of Social Services, where she worked for many years prior, retiring in the 1980s, according to her obituary.
Marion passed away Jan. 8, 2022 at home with Allen by her side. Their progeny includes five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Allen is a member of the Keeseville Elks Lodge #2072, Saint Augustine’s Knights of Columbus #7273 and American Legion Post #20 in Plattsburgh.