Billy Dixon, 35, of Oakland, moved to the Bay Area to pursue both music and technology. He excelled at both.
A native of Chagrin Halls, Ohio, Dixon was known to friends, family and the local underground arts community as a beat boxer, a DJ with a “spot on taste in music” and a talented computer technician.
His former brother-in-law, Robert St. John Price, described Dixon as an “absolutely brilliant” and loyal friend with distinct talents and an endearing quirkiness.
“He was silly. He was open minded. He embraced possibilities,” Price wrote in a social media post. “Those who knew him best can easily recall qualities within their heart: the funniest and best qualities of his utterly unique personality. Like, how he use to squat perched on top of chairs, often shirtless, because he found it to be a more desirable thinking and reading position than a traditional sit?”
On Tuesday, the Alameda County Coroner’s Office identified Dixon as one of the 36 victims of the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland.
“R.I.P Billy. I am still here. A little bit of me knows you were the type that would have stayed behind, at your own risk, to help those who needed it most. I know this,” Price wrote.
Ohio Supreme Court Justice William O’Neill told Fox8 Cleveland that Dixon grew up with his children in Chagrin Falls.
“We know loss here, but this one hurts. This hurts,” O’Neill said, tearfully. “It just hurts. Billy was a special kid. That’s all I need to say … he was special.”
Dixon was a 2000 graduate of Chagrin Falls High School in Ohio, where he played in the marching band, according to his senior sociology teacher, Brian McKenna.
McKenna said he’ll remember Dixon for his infectious smile and his openness.
“It sounds cliche, but everyone truly loved him. He wasn’t part of any particular clique; he got along with people due to his easy-going style and he had interests in a number of different areas,” he said. “You would not be surprised to see him chatting with the jocks as well as the geeks.”
McKenna said he first found out that Dixon was missing a few days ago, when he saw a post on Facebook.
“It included a picture of him. And it had him smiling. That just brought back many memories of who he was,” he said.
Stories about other Ghost Ship live-work warehouse fire victims are here. For ongoing coverage of the tragedy go to this page, which has the latest stories followed by earlier coverage.
