Jay "Phil" P. Dixon

Jay Phillip "Phil" Dixon, 68, passed away on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. A devoted father, fiercely loyal friend, competitive athlete, and creative soul, Phil lived a life defined by enthusiasm, adventure, and a boundless imagination.

He was on August 22, 1957, in Portsmouth, VA, Phil grew up in California, attending Western High School in Anaheim, where he was an active member of both the football and baseball teams. He spent much of his free time surfing and spending time with friends whom he kept for life. After high school, he proudly served his country in the United States Navy as a medical corpsman before earning his degree from University of California, Santa Cruz. His stories from his time in the Navy and at the University of California, Santa Cruz were always a staple around his family dinner table.

A lifelong competitive athlete, Phil found a passion for rugby, playing the sport all over the world. His love for the game transitioned into coaching, where he mentored and inspired players across several teams, including the West Potomac Rugby Club, Rocktown Rugby, Washington and Lee Rugby, and a team in the Amsterdam 7’s in the Netherlands. Many of these “Rugby guys” remain pseudo-Uncles to Rachel and Julia.

Professionally, Phil channeled his endless creative mind into running his own company, Aspect Media, for several decades. Through Aspect Media, he produced films and commercials for government agencies, businesses, and often, just for the sheer fun of storytelling. Phil also shared his creative spirit with his community, serving on the Board of Directors for Shenan Arts and remaining an active, deeply devoted member of Pleasant View Lutheran Church.

Above all his accomplishments, Phil’s greatest joy was being a father to his daughters, Rachel and Julia. He filled their childhood with magic - acting as an amateur architect to build them tree houses, painting birdhouses together, and inventing imaginative games. He delighted in making them his famous pancakes, serving up delicious Mexican feasts of burritos and carnitas, and routinely passing down his favorite piece of wisdom: "Learn, be good, and have fun."

For twenty-one years, Phil lived in his beloved ancestral family home, built by his grandfather Roy P. Cline and wife, Neala, in Staunton, VA, which he lovingly named Walnut Knoll. Moving back home to Staunton fulfilled a childhood dream of Phil’s, which was made a reality through the endless joy, laughter, and stories he shared while reuniting with cousins, other extended family, and his ever-widening circle of dear friends. He was a generous builder who spent endless hours crafting decks for family and friends, tending to his garden of blackberries, and walking the property with his loyal dogs, Moose, Champ, & Uncle Jelly. Phil was the ultimate host and often the undisputed life of the party, throwing unforgettable gatherings in his barn for a wide circle of cherished friends.

He leaves behind a rich legacy of love and laughter in his surviving family, his adored daughters, Julia and Rachel; his sister, Tonya Remington; his brothers, Greg, Jeff, and Kevin Dixon; his dog, Uncle Jelly; and his beloved extended family, and countless cherished friends.

Phil was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Janet "Dixie" Bautista and his father, Jay Dixon.

A Celebration of Life will be held on what would have been Phil’s 69th birthday, at 12:00 PM on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Pleasant View Lutheran Church in Staunton.

His daughters have invited loved ones to send in stories, a favorite song, and photographs/videos to his email, phil@aspectmediainc.com, as they are working to compile “Phil Dixon’s Greatest Hits.”

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shenan Arts (shenanarts.org), Foundation for Thymic Cancer Research (thymic.org) or simply by raising a glass of Patrón in Phil’s honor and sharing a favorite story about a life so exceptionally well-lived.