Caroline D. Coleman

Caroline Dix Coleman June 11, 1942 – October 13, 2025 Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Friend With hearts full of love and deep sorrow, we share the passing of Caroline Dix “Dixie” Coleman, who joined her parents in Heaven on October 13th, 2025. A woman of boundless spirit, compassion, and curiosity, Dixie lived a life steeped in adventure, purpose, love, and joy. Born on June 11th, 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland, Dixie was a vibrant light from the very beginning. She was the firstborn daughter to Harold and Laura Dix, and older sister to Ellen. Her primary school years were spent at Roland Park Country School, and she later went on to study at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Sciences Po in Paris. Throughout her childhood, her parents brought Dixie and Ellen on trips across the world, exposing them to the beauty of new places and different cultures. It was through these trips that ignited her love for travel. Growing up, summers were special for Dixie. She spent many of those at Camp Atahi on Iona Lake in Albany, NH, where she was a camper, counselor, and eventually assistant director. Her love of the lake and views of Mt. Chocorua only deepened over the years, and it was there that she built her homebase with husband Calvin “Buzz” Coleman and their two sons Noah and Curtis. Just as in her own childhood summers, Iona Lake became a cherished gathering place for lifelong family friends, including the Hoyts and Cotes, whom she and her family made countless memories with. As a devoted mother and fearless adventurer, she ensured her sons knew the place and people she grew up with in Maryland, often taking them on yearly trips to visit her parents, sister Ellen and her family, and the Nicoll family, where they enjoyed times on the boardwalk and eating her favorite blue crab by the ocean. Dixie was an avid bird watcher and a proud collector of birds on the elite National Audubon Society bird count. Her feet touched every continent on earth in search of rare birds, aquatic mammals, and migrating herds. Whether walking along the beaches of New Hampshire, Maine or Florida, or quietly observing a bird through her binoculars (or bins, as she would say), Dixie found solace and joy in all of nature’s rhythms across the world. She took many of these trips with her extra special friend Lisa Thurston, who has been a cherished companion on life’s daily adventures. Dixie had a deep reverence for the natural world, and was a proud supporter of multiple nature conservancy nonprofits. She was a true philanthropist and exemplified the meaning of generosity not only for nature conservation, but to others in need within her community. Of all her roles, being a “Grammy” and “Birdie”, was where she took most pride. Her five grandchildren- Ashton, Parker, Caroline, Georgia, and Cooper- were the shining stars of her later years. As an avid sports enthusiast herself, she found ultimate joy cheering them on from the sides of field hockey and football fields in the fall, ski slopes and hockey arenas in the winter, and baseball and softball diamonds in the spring. She leaves behind not only treasured memories with each of them, but the legacy of her infectious love, fierce devotion, and competitive spirit. Dixie will live on in her husband Buzz, her sons Noah and Curtis, their spouses Kristin and Sheri, her beloved grandchildren, her sister Ellen and husband Ken, niece Laura and nephew Harris, devoted friend Lisa Thurston, and many other family and friends whom she adored. She will be remembered for her zesty personality, her unshakable sense of adventure, her love of Christmas magic, her witty sense of humor, and her unwavering commitment to the people and places she loved. To know Dixie was to feel seen, heard, and uplifted. Her warmth, wit, and unwavering belief in the goodness and fun of life touched everyone she met. In honor of her, may we take a walk by the water, listen for the call of a loon, cheer a little louder at a ball game, or simply sit with family and friends in gratitude just as Dixie loved to do. Though the hole she leaves behind will never be filled, we find peace in knowing she is smiling up above as she plans her next adventure. Her family invites you to an open house to celebrate the wonderful life of Dixie on Sunday November 9th, 2025 at the Tin Mountain Conservation Center in Albany, NH. Please join us anytime between the hours of 1 to 4pm to share love, memories, and stories about unforgettable experiences with our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend.