Farewell Jamie Dixon

 Some people have a natural gift and the world is a better place for it. Sechelt's Jamie Dixon had a laugh that might from now on, be heard in the clouds on a thunderous but beautiful day. Jamie's laugh could be heard for blocks. It came from the bottom of his heart and his was the best of "hearts". Jamie worked for the school district and when he came into a classroom to check the heating or some other system, he shone. His smile was sunshine and every little head in the room, turned toward its warmth. One of Jamie's greatest talents was being able to laugh at himself. Now, that's a big heart if it can abide being the butt of a joke but still be able to find laughter over it. Playing friendly, fun tricks on one another was one way, in our small community up the coast, that people had fun. They weren't mean fun, they were a kind of "okay it's your turn but next time, it will be mine" sort of jokes. When Jamie joined the school district maintenance staff as a young man, the joke on him was a "project" to count all of the flourescent lights in every classroom. Off good-hearted Jamie went, clip board in hand proudly, to his first job task. When he entered my classroom of little ones, it was with a combination of pride and shyness, that he might not interrupt the goings on. He stood at the back of the classroom and diligently counted and then noted on the clip board, every bank of tinted flourescent lights in the room. Then, nodding and smiling broadly, he closed the door behind him to get onto the next classroom. Later, out of curiosity, I asked and learned, that at the end of Jamie's tour of the few schools, at that time in the district, it was Jamie's jokey initiation, but also, seriously his introduction  tour of the many schools he would be working on during his employment. When Jamie learned of the joke, they say his laugh could be heard across the whole peninsula! Today, it's good-bye to a fine man who gave his world, and ours, a gift. His gift will long be remembered by those of us fortunate enough to have heard that laugh. We need more of them these days. Thanks and fare thee well Jamie Dixon.