If there’s anything that Terry Dixon of Blakes carries close to his heart, it’s the conviction that all people need to love each other.

The 64-year-old Mathews native said children instinctively know this. “Put two kids in a room that don’t know anything about each other, and they’ll play together and get to know each other,” he said. “It’s something we all need to learn.”

Dixon grew up the youngest of the 11 children of Frank and Dorothy Dixon—the “Baby Boy.” His parents were members of First Baptist Church of Mathews, and Bible readings and discussions about God were always a part of his life.

The church and his parents instilled in Dixon an ethic that has stayed with him, informing his home life, his work life, and his volunteer activities.

For the last quarter century, Dixon has been a custodial supervisor at Mathews Elementary (formerly Lee-Jackson). He has seen thousands of children come and go, interacting with them regularly, sometimes serving as counselor of sorts...