Judge Robert E. Dixon remembered for his fairness, wit

The man just had a tender touch about him. Even some criminals could see it. They would write Judge Robert E. Dixon from prison, thanking him for being so fair.

And then there was that time, early in his career, when he was a juvenile-court judge.

"He was there a month, and he brought home one of the kids," said his wife, Edith Dixon.

Born into the Depression, Judge Dixon overcame a speech impediment, worked his way through school, then advanced through the legal system to a Superior Court judgeship, where he presided over some of King County's toughest cases. A keen legal mind, he was also a sensitive soul, a singer, a woodcarver and a gourmet chef who made special macaroni and cheese for his five children.

By the time he died of a heart attack last Saturday (April 26), Judge Dixon, 78, had lost most of his short-term memory to Alzheimer's disease. But he could still recall hundreds of poems he learned as a child, and from his home in Redmond he liked to recite them for his family.

Judge Dixon was raised on Queen Anne, the younger of two sons. As a boy, he nearly bit his tongue off when he fell from a tree. After work, Judge Dixon's father would sit by his side, requiring him to read books and poems aloud.

"He did it so often and so well, you never could tell he had an impediment, until a few Scotches, and it would slip in," said Dave LaRose, a former colleague and longtime friend.

After he graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1948, Judge Dixon worked odd jobs to pay his tuition at the University of Washington, where he later earned his law degree. He then became a deputy prosecuting attorney for King County.

A sharp intellect and a quick wit, Judge Dixon was also what his future wife would call "girl shy." It took her a year to get a date with him. But two years later, they were the perfect married pair; he quiet and easygoing, she high-energy and extroverted.

Together they raised a family in Kirkland — three of hers, two of theirs, plus a teenager who appeared before Judge Dixon in juvenile court. Smart and rebellious, she was too much for an aunt to supervise. With the girl's permission, and his wife's approval, Judge Dixon brought the 16-year-old home to live.

"They just made me a part of the family," said Oma Madsen, of Poulsbo, a computing consultant.

If kindness came second nature to Judge Dixon, so did fairness. His colleagues saw it at work in the courtroom. His children sensed it in the small things he did at home.

"I always felt like his favorite," said Kelly Dixon, of Kirkland. "He made every one of us feel like his favorite."

King County felt Judge Dixon's influence starting in 1969, as a Superior Court commissioner. In 1978, he became a Superior Court judge, ruling on matters ranging from violent crimes to a voter initiative addressing busing in Seattle schools.

Along the way, Judge Dixon earned a stellar reputation: In a review of 36 judges, the Seattle-King County Bar Association rated Judge Dixon "excellent," one of nine judges in 1988 to get that distinction.

He retired four years later, and devoted himself to his many other passions, from photography to growing roses to life with his wife. Even with dementia, he always remembered the rhythms of their married routine. The day before he died, Judge Dixon rose before his wife and headed downstairs to make her coffee.

Judge Dixon is also survived by four other children, Robert Dixon and Kristine Phillips, both of Friday Harbor; Beth Dixon of Bellevue; and Becky Connell of Duvall; and a brother, William Dixon, of Bothell.

A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Bellevue's Sunset Hills Funeral Home, 1215 145th Place S.E. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Washington or to Holy Spirit Lutheran Church for its work with Habitat for Humanity.

Cara Solomon: 206-464-2024