I met Dixon travelling in Italy in 1985 - we only spent a couple of days travelling together but we kept in contact for a number of years after that. I tracked him down again early 2005 and we again exchanged emails / photos. I was just in the process of tracking him down again as some friends are visiting Austin and I thought he may have been a good contact for them when I discovered the sad news of his passing. We really hit it off in Italy, visiting graveyards in Milan, going to the coast with a bunch of almost strangers and wandering the streets of Rome in the searing heat. Very sad news indeed.
My thoughts go out to his family, friends and colleagues even though this is some time after the tragic event. RIP Dixon.

My deepest condolences to the Coulbourn Family --

I just found out today (6/21/06) about your terrible loss.

I had met Dixon at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) where he worked as a Senior Network Analyst, and I had joined there as a Research Assistant during my undergraduate studies at UT Austin in 1997. Dixon's office was right next to mine. He taught me to say "good mornin'" TX style!

Dixon and I once drove up to Houston together. He spoke a lot about his wonderful family on that trip.

I had last met Dixon 7 years ago. I will miss him.

Such an intelligent and devoted fan of humanity.
I'm interested in reviving his Pop Group site either by donation or maintenance.
Thank you Dixon. -Eric

I've only just (Jan 06) heard! Dixon was such a lovely bloke. The last time we met was in late 2001, I think, when he and Jenny stayed at our place in Exeter whilst on a visit to the UK. We then drove them up to Bristol where he was excited about continuing his research into the history of the Pop Group. I'm so, so sorry to hear about this and Elena and I would like to send our belated condolences to all of his family and friends and to Jenny. I'm going to play a Pop Group album now and remember him...

Nick Halliwell

I just heard the news and find myself so very sad--even though it's been ten years since I last saw Dixon. Memories keep flooding back. Freshman year at AC: Dixon standing up to the idiot football players, though he would not have called them that. Mo Ranch: sleeping under the stars. Winedale: Dixon, Rob, Robin and me arrive for one show and end up staying the entire weekend. Ten years ago at Stomp: telling him that John and I had finally gotten together and seeing Dixon smile....

I was so saddened to hear of Dixon's death at my 20 year Austin College reunion this past week-end. Although I had not seen him in about 10 years, Dixon is someone who makes an indelible impression on you. His great love of life was always an inspiration. I still have some of his photos from his time at Austin College and they will be even more precious now. My condolences to his family and loved ones. Dixon was a wonderful person and I feel grateful to have known him.

To the Coulbourn family,

I am shocked and saddened upon learning of Dixon's death. I just only recently reconnected with him, after considering going to the Austin High School class of 1980 reunion. We emailed a few times back and forth, and he even sent me our 6th grade (Baker school) class photo, which meant so much to me. I was looking forward to perhaps meeting up with him when I come home to Austin this Christmas. My condolences go out to you. Clearly, he touched many lives, and I only wish that I had gotten to know him better.

Warm regards,
Yvonne

My condolences to the Coulbourn Family.

I am deeply saddened by Dixon's passing. For myself I am sad that I will not have the chance to thank him for all the wonderful photographs he took of the music scene in Austin. Every person who shared that time of their lives owes him a debt of gratitude for documenting and sharing his photography with us.

I'm so sorry for Dixon's family and loved ones. He was a rare person... His Idle Time magazine was extremely precious to me then, as now...

I think Dixon realized very early on that we were living in a veritable Renaissance of art and music and ideas. He celebrated the times we lived in; and twenty-five years later, we see that his preservation and extensive documentation of the events of our collective past helped many of us understand our own selves better; indeed, many of us have reconnected with long-lost friends through his valuable Idle Time website. The international range on comments on this memorial attest to the worldwide significance of his unique vision.

I hope that in honor of his memory, Dixon's site can be preserved for posterity -- his work was and is so incredibly important: there is simply nothing like it ANYWHERE.

RIP Dixon... Thank you for being there.

Dixon was a true friend and will be greatly missed.

Colbourn Family:

I was saddened to read of Dixon's passing. I went to first and half of second grade with Dixon at Dill Elementary and went home after school with him more than once, as I recall. I will never forget the "Frito Bandito eraser" incident in Mrs. Schultz's second grade class.
I was also a classmate of Dixon's at Austin College. Although I did not know him well there, I had a great deal of respect for him. He was never afraid to be himself, something I admired greatly.

Blessings on the Coulborn Family

We have a lot of thoughts for him and his familiy.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Dixon and I were second cousins, I think. Our grandmothers were sisters. I met (or saw) him once, at a birthday party for our mutual great aunt. I couldn't believe I was related to anyone that handsome and cool. Reading about him now, I wish I'd known him.

The Coulbourn Family,

Dixon's smiling face fills up almost a third of my photo albums. He was an amazing man when we were together (early 90's), and he grew to be even more so with the passage of time. He had the gift of life which he shared with so many people.

We are all blessed to have been given a part of that gift, if only for a tragically short peice of time.

My thoughts are with you. And knowing Dixon, his energy and spirit with be with us all for as long as we need it.

Dear Dick, Gail, Travis, and Daniel,

I remember the months I spent living down the street from you and how wonderful and supportive you were to me. I always felt at home and like family when I was with you and I thank you for that. I also remember Nana and how she always welcomed me into her home. The last of my grandparents died when I was only 6 or 7, so it was great to be able to borrow someone else's grandmother for a while. I loved Dixon then as if he were my own brother. I have always regretted that we weren't able to keep that alive. My hope has always been that we would be able to resolve our differences one day and return to the great friendship we had. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get that done.

I remember the love that all of you showed me. I am grateful and I know that I am a better person for it. All of you still live in my heart.

To the Coulbourn Family

I’ve had contact with Dixon over the last years (6 or so). We shared the same interest namely “The Pop Group”. In these years we shared info, music and personal facts. I just returned from my holyday’s and made a regular check on Dixon’s website and found out the shocking news. It took more readings in the guestbook to realise what happened. It’s the first time in my life that I’m confronted with the dead of a, what I may call, cyberfriend. And it hurts…

I wish you all the strength you need to come through this hard period and …

Dixon, I’ll never forget you,

Last Cheers
Alex

My sympathy for your loss -- Laura

To The Coulbourn Family,

I knew Dixon from Autin College...we never exchanged that many words but had similiar interests, one being photography. I had finished a series of my usual composed, studied landscapes and he presented to me these crazy, blurred, beautiful images he had taken. (With his trademark smile and glint in his eye) He "painted" with his camera and captured light and movement like nobody else. I can still see his images today in my mind. News of his passing brought sadness to my heart, but also memories of someone who touched all of us in a unique way.

)))))I worked in the cubicle next to Dixon from the time I was hired by BEG until the time he moved upstairs to computing. Working there was the first time I actually enjoyed my job and that had a great deal to do with him. For the first time, I had met someone whom I felt to be of like mind. We both enjoyed non-mainstream music, both had a visually creative bent, and both liked to laugh. I quickly became quite attached to him.
)))))One aspect that I most appreciated and that’s been rare among the men I’ve known is that he was emotionally accessible. We talked about so many things at lunches. We talked about love and sex and art and Jungian therapy and never was there an attempt by him to cover, to present some macho façade. He felt and he was open about his passions, his fears. And with it all he was able to laugh.
)))))There was another aspect that sometimes was puzzling to me. Although he had the wild hair or two, he was still respectful and dignified. He always came to work and on time. He did his job before he slacked. And if he got angry at a person, it usually had the tone of being angry at their behavior than at them personally. Perhaps, it was more a gentleness of spirit than respect. I don’t know. But it puzzled me because I noticed my capability to be hateful.
)))))Anyway, I wonder what you’d say, Dixon, if you can read this. I’m sure you’d laugh and be a little embarrassed. But know that I loved you in that incarnation of Dixon Coulbourn and I hope to experience your energy again in this Universe.

I feel honored to have known Dixon as a colleague and a friend. He was, in the truest sense of the word, a gentleman.

His memory will live on in the hearts of many.

To Dixon's family and friends,

My thoughts and prayers go out to you in your time of loss. I like to think of Dixon as my water cooler buddy. We always seemed to be meeting in the hallway to refill our cups. Ever the gentleman, he would offer to let me refill first for the "cold" water. I will miss our little ritual and conversations as well as hearing him whistling in the hallway. Thanks for making us smile, Dixon.

We will miss him. We did some growing up together – it was always fun seeing how we have changed and how we have not changed. His enthusiasm for a huge range of interests was incredible, enviable. With his own completely individual view, he made us laugh and showed how to look at even mundane things in a different way. He took some photos of our village in Wales, we pass by these things everyday but he pointed them out as funny, significant or just interesting. He looked at the whole world like that.
What a testimony that he has such a wide range of friends, did something for so many people by just being him. Our thoughts are with his family, Jenny and all the friends he shared. We feel a great loss which can’t be put into words.

waiting on dixon and jenny was always a highlight of my shift, as dixon and i made faces at each other and jenny wore a permanent smile. i keep expecting to look outside, and see him there taking pictures of crows. dixon, your absence is felt, and you are sorely missed by all of your trudy's pals.