Dixie Woolley Carsey, 80, formerly of Flagstaff, passed away peacefully surrounded by love and family on January 7, 2023, in Melbourne, Florida. She was born September 24, 1942, in Lima, Ohio and moved often as a child ultimately attending high school in Cypress, Texas. After high school, Dixie moved to California where she met her husband, Weldon "Alan" Carsey. They married in 1965 in Massachusetts and moved to the Smokerise neighborhood in Flagstaff in 1968 where they settled and met many lifelong friends, ultimately making Flagstaff their home for nearly 50 years.

While raising their children and working in the family business, Dixie went back to school to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts - Painting from Northern Arizona University though having already become a prominent artist in Flagstaff. In addition to her extensive art talents, Dixie was a dedicated parishioner of St. Pius X and most notably and memorably, worked with hundreds of Flagstaff youth as a swim coach, having founded the Flagstaff Stingray swim team.

In 2004, Dixie and Alan bought the Bass Harbor Campground in Maine and split their time between Maine, Florida, Arizona and many places in between in their R.V. During this time, Dixie continued her love for dogs, broadened her art, became a faithful member of Southwest Harbor Congregational Church and even emerged as a published author, having penned her book of poetry and prose just before Alzheimer's began its attack on her beautiful mind.

Dixie was loved by her family, her neighbors, her swimming, art and church communities, the Bass Harbor Campground community and, most recently, the nurses and staff at Harborside Memory Care in Melbourne, Florida.

Dixie is survived by her husband, Alan, of Sun City West, Arizona; son Warren Carsey (Renee) of Beverly, Massachusetts; daughters Cathy Metzger (Bill) of Peoria, Arizona, Alena Gfeller (Charlie) of Avon, Connecticut and Shanna Vicker (Del) of Melbourne Beach, Florida; 13 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Dixie will be remembered for her art, dedication to friends, poems, crazy Christmas gifts, thrifting when thrifting was not cool and most importantly, her love of family and God. While in the end she may have struggled to remember us, she loved us all and we loved her.

A funeral service will be held on February 3rd with a viewing/rosary reading beginning at 9:30 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at San Francisco de Asis Roman Catholic Church. A reception will be held at the Flagstaff Elks Lodge, 12:00 pm, 2101 N. San Francisco Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Dixie Lee Woolley Carsey Art Scholarship at Northern Arizona University.