Guy Edwin Dixon, 93, aviator, inventor and entrepreneur, passed away on March 6 at his Regatta Pointe home in Miami Lakes surrounded by his family.
As a teenager, Dixon developed a love of flying. He built the first airplane he ever flew, soloed at age 16, and at age 19, became the youngest flight instructor for the U.S. Army Corps. While stationed in Sikeston, Missouri, he met Adagene Bowman, to whom he was married for 70 years until her death in 2011.
In 1942, the Dixons moved to Miami Shores where they built a home and raised their family. He became a pilot for Eastern Airlines, flying under contract for the Army Air Corps Military Transport Division to South American and African during World War II. He continued as an Eastern pilot for 25 years.
Prior to his retirement from flying, Dixon invented and patented the first folding doors to utilize full height flexible hinges and, in 1953, founded Panelfold, Inc. Other inventions relating to folding doors, accordion partitions and operable walls led to hundreds of worldwide patents and trademarks and the manufacture of Panelfold products in 60 countries.
Over the ensuring years, many Panelfold employees lived in Miami Lakes. The nearness of Panelfold’s factory in the Gratigny Industrial Park and the planned community atmosphere of Miami Lakes was an attraction for highly qualified executives and skilled workers from which Panelfold benefited.
Today, the company is owned by second and third generations of the Dixon family. Over the years, Panelfold has provided employment for tens of thousands of South Florida residents and elsewhere.
In 1984, the Dixons built their oceanfront retirement dream home at the Ocean Reef Club in the Florida Keys where they lived until they moved to Miami Lakes in 2006 to be closer to family.
Dixon’s daughter and son-in-law Beth and Russ Geyer moved them to Regatta Pointe when it became apparent they needed more close-by care.
“While my family is saddened by the passing of my mother, Adagene, three years ago, and dad’s passing in early March, we are more than gratified that they had the positive experience of living on the edges of Graham Dairy Lake at Regatta Pointe for those remaining years,” said Beth Geyer. “The glistening lake with its abundant wild bird life, and the coming and goings of many aircraft using Opa Locka Airport, made every day an exciting one for both of them. My dad even identified many of those aircraft by the sound of their engines.
“He was invited by then Miami-Dade Aviation Department director Jose Abreu to visit Opa Locka Airport to see the in-process restoration of the Eastern Airlines DC7B, which later on, fully restored, flew right over his home. My dad had been a captain on that very same aircraft.”
In addition to the Geyers, Dixon is survived by his son Guy Dixon III, his brothers Tom and Frank Dixon, his sister Becky Dixon Friedman, and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date. In place of flowers, the family requests remembrances to the National Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 S.E. 1 Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131; or Friends of Miami-Dade Public Libraries/Talking Books, 2455 N.W. 183 Street, Miami, FL 33056.