William Boone Dixon

November 24, 1981 - May 21, 2020

*POSTPONED* CELEBRATION OF LIFE for 7/18/2020 until later date. William Boone Dixon (November 24, 1981 - May 21, 2020) William Boone Dixon epitomized the phrase “sisu,” a Finnish idea described as a stoic determination, tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness. He passed away on May 21, 2020. Boone was a revered and dedicated father, husband, son, teacher and friend whose immeasurable impact can be felt in his local community and abroad. He enjoyed international study and travel, with favorite destinations including Denmark, Iceland, and Japan, but he found his way home to Maryville to plant roots and share his love of the world and education with his students and athletes. A voracious reader and collector of knowledge, Boone immensely enjoyed working his dream job as a Maryville Junior High School Social Studies teacher where he taught courses including AP Human Geography and served as a Model UN faculty advisor. He was a natural mentor and loved to curate the best of life and share that with others including, but not limited to, running & fitness, travel experiences, food, the art of brewing coffee, beer recommendations, books, obscure trivia, playlists, dance moves, and dad jokes. Ideals of stoicism and stoic meditation grounded his approach to life which focused on being present, being grateful, living life honestly and without pretense, and cultivating joy by serving others. With fondness, Boone will be remembered for his quirkiness, including a love of all things Lord of the Rings, buzzing around town on his electric scooter, and being in constant possession of a cloth handkerchief. He sought joy in simple pleasures like playing flashlight tag with his young sons and sharing his insatiable love of reading with them through classic children’s literature. By his community and amazing colleagues, he will be remembered as an outstanding teacher and coach (Cross Country and Track) who went out of his way to make each student feel validated and appreciated. Boone is described by his athletes as “zen until the gun went off,” when you could find him passionately cheering on his runners for all of their worth. He sincerely loved his job and the opportunity to expose his students to the wonders of education and the opportunities to learn and study the world. As much as he loved his job, he loved his family more, emulating ideals learned from his amazing parents and relationship with his siblings. Boone and his wife, Sarah, began dating when they were students at Maryville Middle School, and she was truly the love of his life and partner in all ways. They married in 2008 and became parents in 2013. They enjoyed family runs, kitchen dance parties, cooking meals together, and international adventures. Boone attended Maryville High School, where he played varsity soccer and earned his Eagle Scout award. He attended Elon University , majoring in history and studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. Boone earned a Master’s of History from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and later an Ed.S degree from Lincoln Memorial University. He is survived by his wife Sarah Hickman Dixon, sons Abel Boone and Ezra Boone, his parents Eugene and Diane Dixon, his sister Emily Dixon and her husband Mohit Pise, and his brother Dr. Brandon Dixon and Mary Davis. He is also survived by his in-laws Tish Hickman and Scott Thompson, Ed Hickman, Christine Hickman, Kelly Morgan and fiancé Ket Patel, and an abundance of friends as close as family. In lieu of flowers, a Family Fund has been established through a Go Fund Me campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/f/kmvq8-dixon-family-fund?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet . A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, 2020 from 3:00pm until 5:00pm at the Smithview Pavilion, 601 Smithview Drive, Maryville. Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, 865-983-1000, www.SmithFuneralandCremation.com.