Sharyn Lee Gainor Dixon, 85, of Waverly, Ohio, died Tuesday October 3, 2023, peacefully in her daughter’s home in Broken Arrow. Services will be held at Catoosa First, 300 S. Cherokee St. in Catoosa, October 28 at 10:30 a.m.
Sharyn was born February 10, 1938, to Alan F. Gainor (of Daniel Gainor & Julia Lyons of County Cork Ireland) and Leone Ann Schmidt Gainor (of Gustave Emil August Schmidt and Selma Gehlor of Germany) in Dubuque, Iowa. She attended St. Columbkilles Catholic School through 8th grade and graduated from Dubuque Senior High. She then attended cosmetology school and loved her beautician career for 17 years. She married Donald Lee Dixon of Dubuque, Iowa in 1966. They moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa until 1979, when they moved to Henryetta. She returned to college to get her Licensed Practical Nursing degree from OSU Tech in Okmulgee. She worked in Henryetta Hospital for several years. She was one of the first nurses on the hospital team to assist with the first laparoscopic procedures performed at Henryetta Hospital. She transitioned to the Home Healthcare team until she retired after 20 years of nursing. Her husband died in 1995. She was a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church until she moved to Ohio in 2007. She attended Waverly First Baptist in Waverly, Ohio. She made many friends and served as a staff member and participated in many activities at the Pike County Senior Center. January February 10, 1938 – October 3, 2023
2019, she was the Senior Center’s Senior Spotlight feature. She was asked to comment on something people would be shocked to learn. Her reply was “I used to ride my horse in parades and my horse’s colt led the parade in Chicago.” The most important thing she learned during her life was “not to gossip.” She loved to garden and shovel snow, travel, watch Wheel of Fortune and take care of pets and people.
Sharyn is survived by her brother, Dale Gainor of Chicago, Ohio; daughter, Deidre (Richard) Hawkins of Broken Arrow, and adult children Deven and Braden Hawkins, and Elise (Taigh) Goggin with baby Theo; two sons Dennis Dixon of Broken Arrow, and Donald Dixon Jr and wife Patti of Schulter; grandsons, Patrick and Andrew Dixon. Husband of recent 17 years of Waverly, Ohio, James E. Wolfe; stepson ‘Little’ James Wolfe Jr and wife Kirstyn Horn; grandchildren Dominic, (late) Kayden and Charlene Wolfe.
She has several nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her father Alan Gainor and mother Leone Gainor; late husband Donald Lee Dixon, brother Richard Alan Gainor; and sister-in-law Bevery Lane Gainor.
