A Life Story
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Janet Barnett Dixon, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and treasured matriarch of her family. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, to James and Margaret Barnett, Janet embodied the very best of Southern grace throughout her life. To those who knew her, she was truly an angel on earth. She possessed a rare combination of generosity, elegance, and warmth that made everyone around her feel loved and welcome. Janet attended the University of Georgia, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and began her lifelong love of the Georgia Bulldogs—and of sports in general. An accomplished athlete herself, Janet played basketball, tennis, and golf. She won the Savannah Golf Club Women’s Club Championship twice, in 1960 and 1964, and proudly achieved every golfer’s dream there: a hole-in-one. Janet shared 58 years of marriage with her beloved husband, Merritt, before his passing. Together, they built an extraordinary life filled with family, friendship, and adventure. They traveled the world and shared countless unforgettable experiences, including crossing the Atlantic aboard the Concorde. She was deeply involved in her community and was an active member of numerous clubs and organizations in Savannah, including the Trustees’ Garden Club and Colonial Dames of America, and served as Directress of the Telfair Women’s Hospital. Janet will also be remembered as an incredible cook, and some of her family and friends’ most cherished memories were made gathered around her table. Delivering her homemade bread each week was one of her many love languages—a simple gesture that perfectly reflected the way she cared for others. She is survived by her children: Sandy (Kim), and their children, Leary (Ruffin) and Quint (Lauren); Lysa, and her children, Mikey, Drew (Stefanie), and Happy; and Jim, and his son, JB; as well as many beloved great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Janet had a remarkable way of making the world around her brighter, more beautiful, and more joyful. Her love for others will live on through the family and friends whose lives she touched. She will be deeply missed by everyone fortunate enough to have known and loved her. A graveside service will be held at 11:00a.m. on Friday, September 25, at Bonaventure Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Hospice Savannah, 1352 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah, Georgia 31406.