In her teens, Dixie found a job as a typist and model for a furrier in San Francisco. In the early 1960s, she got a job as a waitress at the Ilikai Hotel in Honolulu. In 1968, after meeting Seaboard crewmembers who stayed there, Dixie became a flight attendant. She continued with Flying Tigers until they merged with FedEx.
Dixie was predeceased by her mother, Mabel; her stepfather, James Kennedy; and her companion of 25 years, Tony Tessiero. She is survived by her son, Bruce Tingwell; her brother, Richard Marsh; her sister, Pat Farrell; and nieces Shelly, Cindy and Debbie.