February 20, 2008
They remember Dixie Howell
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
Friday will be declared Dixie Howell Day by the City of Ocean City and, on that night, the gymnasium at Ocean City High
School will be dedicated to his memory.
The ceremony will be preceded by a tour of the high school and refreshments, starting at 4 p.m. The ceremony in the gym
will begin at approximately 5 p.m. and was to be followed by the OCHS boys' final game of the season, against Sacred
Heart, which has been cancelled because of weather concerns by the Cumberland County school.
The Gazette asked some of the people who played for, coached with, coached against and played against Dixie to pass
along their memories of the man. Here is what some of them told us:
Words cannot express my gratitude for having known and worked with Dixie Howell. The consummate educator, mentor and
friend; Dixie set the standard for professionalism, compassion and integrity in both the educational and coaching arenas.
I became a better coach and teacher under his guidance. While most coaches develop their own personalities, motivational
techniques or methods of instruction, we all took a little something from his wisdom and we are better for it.
-Pat Dougherty, retired teacher & Hall of Fame coach
When Dixie died more than 100 men from all over the United States flew in to honor this man as both "our coach" and
mentor in life. It would be more than a minor disservice to this man to think in terms of just a basketball coach, or
won/loss records, or fame and respect for OCHS. For me and several others Dixie was the single most influential person
in our lives. More so than our parents, siblings, priests, bosses and/or other mentors. When I was in eighth grade and
my brother, Mike, was a senior, our mother died from cancer. Dad retired and came to raise us at that point and in
September 1958, Mike went off to Bucknell and I entered ninth grade at OCHS. Problem was, Dad was an alcoholic and he
was to cause me major problems over the next four years. Six times during those four years Dad went on "benders" that
were truly frightening and I turned to Dixie. In my junior year Dad chased me out of the house& I literally ran all the
way to Dixie's house for some place to hide and stay. In my senior year Dad went into DTs and again I went and stayed
with Dixie and Doris Howell for five weeks. In each of the instances, I sought the help and security of the one man that
I knew would be there, to give me safety and love, and help me keep some focus on how to cope. They were truly scary
times and there is no doubt that without Dixie's guidance and support, well, God only knows where I would have ended up.
-Jerry Fadden, Captain of 1961-62 OCHS team
Dixie was my first department chairman as well as athletics director. I don't know how he did it all because he also
taught. He was a great guy and an awesome coach. Pat Dougherty would go to him for basketball coaching tips and ideas.
He also took my place as head girls' tennis coach in 1980 when I had my first daughter. I remember playing him in tennis
one time and he could put so much spin or junk on the ball that by the time I went to swing, the ball was out of my
reach.
-Wendy Nickles, still teaching and coaching girls tennis at OCHS.
Dixie Howell taught me that if you continue to work hard at something, you will get better at it and it will become
second nature to you. In health class, he showed us how to shave. In life, it's the little things that make the world
go round. Dixie made that happen for many of us.
-Barry Banks, retired from General Motors after 31 years, now living in Nevada
Dixie Howell is a high school basketball coaching legend in South Jersey. No one taught basketball fundamentals better
or loved the game more. He certainly made a positive difference in the lives of the young men who played for him in
Ocean City.
-Dr. Edward H. Salmon, retired Millville coach and NJ Assemblyman, now President & CEO of Salmon Ventures
Outside of my Dad, Dixie was the best man I ever knew. He inspired me to be the best I could be; not just at sports, but
also at being a man, a friend, a husband and a father. I knew him well from about 1959 through his death and have many
wonderful memories of our interactions and relationship. However, one moment stands out above all others and, I think,
personifies Dixie Howell perfectly. I visited him in his home in Ocean City not long before his death. He had been
fighting his illness for a long time and it was clear that he had lost. Dixie was frail, emaciated and very tired when I
came to visit. Part of this was caused by the overwhelming number of visitors he was receiving. Mrs. Howell told me
after my visit that he insisted on seeing everyone, no matter what it took. When I arrived at the house, Mrs. Howell
asked me to wait a minute as he was finishing up with another visitor. However, Dixie heard me out in the hall and
called me in. He then spent 20 minutes explaining to the other visitor, a stranger to me, that I was one of his "boys",
how much we had accomplished together back in the day, but mostly how he was so proud of me for the life I was leading.
Not a word from him about how bad he obviously was feeling, or self-pity, or regrets. It was all about me. You would
have thought he was perfectly healthy and we were all just having a nice conversation. He would not let me leave, even
when I saw he was exhausted and made ready to go. We talked about old times, old friends and my future. We laughed and
laughed, and I cried. Of course, he comforted me. HE comforted ME! I will always remember him that way. He was strong,
caring, selfless, self-sacrificing, and, I am convinced, truly loved all of "his boys". When I finally left, he managed
to walk me to the door. I think he wanted to reduce my worry and fear for him. This is the kind of man Dixie was. It was
like having a second dad. This is why it is appropriate to honor him with the gym dedication. The school might honor him
because of his athletic record, but I, and I think all his boys, will always honor him for the kind of man he was.
-John Cranston, Captain of 1963-64 State Champions
I was fortunate to coach against Dixie and to be part of his staff. Dixie was well ahead of the game. His organization,
his coaching methods and his concern for the youth of Ocean City were untouchable. He was a very good and loyal friend
who was always there to lend a helping hand. When you talk about Ocean City basketball there is only one person that you
refer to - Dixie Howell. When I was coaching and Dixie was the AD - we were playing then in the "old gym" - I would see
a lot of little kids coming in the gym from our locker room. These were boys who couldn't afford the ticket to get into
the game. Dixie always had the back door open for them. That is the type of person that I remember, always concerned for
someone and always willing to give. It was an honor to be part of his staff and to follow in his footsteps. But you
could never replace a Dixie Howell.
-Jack Boyd, retired teacher and Hall of Fame coach
I worked for the recreation department under Dixie while in college. I still have fond memories of working with little
kids and adults under his supervision. He always had a kind word for just about everyone. He obviously was a student of
the game of basketball. In addition to watching him set up drills for our summer camps, I remember watching him coach
the OCHS team while I was a freshman and remember him doing a slowdown against "unbeatable Millville", who had Alan
Shaw, a 7-footer. I think this is the game Dave Beyel sank a half court shot at the halftime buzzer. Anyway the score
was extremely low as planned (I forget the outcome) and it made me realize the significance of planning and believing.
I then had the good fortune to play under another great coach (and person) - Jack Boyd - who also was a great student of
the game who I am sure also learned from Dixie. I remember Dixie as a great coach, and a great boss and more importantly
as a soft-spoken, kind human being who always encouraged kids and always had a nice smile. I have tried to give back by
coaching baseball, basketball and even a little soccer. I enjoy the thrill of watching the kids eyes light up and always
try and stress what I was taught. People like Dixie help to "pass it on".
-Harry Vanderslice, former 3-sport athlete at OCHS, now a successful realtor and developer
I only remember him in basketball when we (ACHS) scrimmaged them way back in '67. We saw him on the other side of the
first room we entered. Edgar Allen asked him where the gym was and he said, "This is it!" We thought he was joking,
obviously. Seriously, though, in talking to all his past players, especially John Huff, whom I played with at Franklin
and Marshall, what a man he must have been.
-Yogi Hiltner, sports official, clinician and recreation leader
Dixie was a great man and respected leader in coaching. He was always teaching and was a father figure to his players.
He taught right from wrong. We were always prepared. We won numerous games with lesser talent. Dixie continued to talk
to college coaches and go to clinics. He injected his fire, sense of competition and the love of the game into his
players. He was one step ahead of his opponent. We were in a 2-2-1 full court press. After four steals and four baskets,
our opponent calls time out, all flustered. We switch to a half-court man-to-man and continue to baffle them. He was
our Patton in coaching. He is missed.
P.S. Whatever happened to FORT-BI?
-Dave Beyel, Class of 68, co-owner of Boulevard Super Liquors in Marmora
One of the reasons I came to teach in Ocean City back in 1969-70 was to be the tennis coach of the re-established boys
program. As I remember Dixie in his AD years, the time he stopped coaching, there grew a love of tennis. At OCHS he
wanted us to be successful quickly with a new varsity program. Dixie gave me, as a coach, the things I needed for the
players and all the little incidentals that helped establish a championship program in a relatively short time. Dixie
and the Howell family all became ardent tennis players at the same time. We in OC Recreation even named our senior mens
tournament after him. Dixie - always the coach, even when playing tennis, giving wife Doris the doubles strategies -
allowed tennis to keep his competitive spirit alive.
-Phil Birnbaum, retired teacher and Hall of Fame coach, now coaching women s tennis at Richard Stockton College and
directing Ocean City s summer tennis program
When I moved from NYC to Ocean City in the eighth grade I did not know what to expect. But I quickly got attached to
Dixie. He was a winner and it was contagious. He believed in a hard work ethic and I took his direction and it has
helped me through my athletic career and my business career. I am sure that he has touched many people in OC and has
helped them build character which has led to their individual development. He was a winner and he made everyone around
him feel the same way!
-Bill Fisher, OCHS Player of the Century who now owns his own wholesale distribution business in Indianapolis
I remember Dixie's unyielding focus on results. He was single-minded in his focus on success and winning, and would do
whatever was necessary to achieve that. He was, however, aware that that approach had a cost in other ways and was
willing to live with consequences. I specifically remember this when we froze the ball, to the great displeasure of the
fans, for most of the game with Bishop Eustace. That team was far superior to us and Dixie saw that extremely unpopular
tactic as the only way to win. Do what is necessary to succeed and learn to live with the consequences was a useful
lesson that I took from him.
-Edward "Jake" Williams, now living in Hong Kong and a senior executive with Standard Chartered Bank, an international
English bank. He received a BSE in engineering from Princeton, an SM also in engineering from MIT and an MBA from
Harvard.
Dixie Howell was a special breed that gave of himself and didn't ask for anything in return. I was captain of the
basketball team in 1957 that lost to Verona in the state championship. Jokingly, 50 years later, I still remind my
teammate, Tom Adams, that if he hadn't blown a hole in his left palm (starter pistol accident) we would have won that
game. We were undefeated going into the game and played the worst game of the year. We had everything going for us and
we hit that proverbial game when everything went wrong. I believe my memory serves me correctly that we lost, 43-40.
Dixie's success was due to his dedication. I have memories of looking forward to going to "Sports Training" on Saturday
morning. My recollection is that I was in 6th, 7th or 8th grade. The point I am making is that his additional interest
and effort most likely was rewarded in part with his great success. We learned the "weave", etc., at the training and,
by the time we were in high school at the junior varsity level, we basically knew his system. I spent 35 years in South
Florida and when I received word that there was going to be a retirement dinner for Dixie I had to go. A number of his
past players made the event over in Somers Point and I am so glad that I attended. Dixie passed away way before he
should have. I did visit with him during one of the class reunions when he was struggling with the cancer. That was the
last time I saw him. My mother summered in Ocean City in those days and I knew that Dixie was losing the battle with
cancer. I told her to call me in Florida when his death occurred as I wanted to honor his memory by attending the
funeral. She mailed me the newspaper article and I opened it at 4pm when I got home from work. The ceremony was that
evening. I heard a tape of the event. I loved that warm up song "Sweet Georgia Brown" and, as I recall, that was played
at the ceremony. In closing, I would speculate that many, many of his former players would credit some of their adult
successes to Dixie's influence and the competitive instincts he taught. He was one special individual and his type do
not come around that often.
-Wayne Hudson, Captain of 1956-57 South Jersey Champions
I remember Dixie as a role model when I first began to teach. As a teacher he treated every student with respect and on
an individual basis. Those students that needed more attention received it. He was very much attuned to those that were
less fortunate than others and made sure that "needy students" always received the "pat on the back" that they needed
and they loved him for it, as much as his athletes loved him. He taught me to look for other attributes in a student
besides athletic ability and judge them as a whole person. When I began to coach, I remember him as an athletics
director that was always available to his coaches. He could offer a drill to be used for a certain sport for a specific
situation, discuss tactics or figure out a tough defense and offer an offense to combat it - all immediately upon
request. His knowledge of athletics was incredible and he was always willing to share. He was never overbearing, just
subtle enough to make his point, offering suggestions when needed and making corrections in a way that encouraged rather
than discouraged. And after he retired, I can remember watching him play tennis as we walked by the courts with our
classes wondering how anyone could perfect a slice or drop shot as well as he could. He was unbelievable.
-Sandy Corson Beyel, retired teacher and coach
Dixie was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He treated everyone with respect and dignity. As a new teacher in
Ocean City, I met Dixie through Berwyn "Red" Hughes and Harry McLaughlin. What was obviously impressive was their
complete admiration for and loyalty toward Dixie. It did not take long to see why. Dixie encouraged me to get involved
in the OCYAA and officiating. He even gave me opportunities to ref summer ball under his careful eye. He encouraged and
motivated with compassion and sincerity. It's no wonder why he has had such a loyal following today as when he was
living. Naming the gym after him is a small token of appreciation for a coach, teacher and citizen of Ocean City who
gave so much of himself to the community which he loved.
-Greg Donahue, retired principal, OCYAA President and basketball official
Read more of
Tom Williams' columns