“I miss Jack so much. Life will be different without his steadying hand. I will be forever grateful that he stopped his ’57 Chevy to ask me to go to the Boonville rodeo.” – Dixie
Jack Southwick, of Mesa, Arizona, passed peacefully early Wednesday morning, June 10, 2026, after a long illness, with family members at his side. He is survived by his loving wife of almost 65 years, Dixie, and their children, Rusty (Audrey), Renee Allen (Scott), Robbie (Valerie), Ray (Dawn), and Roy (Angie). Jack and Dixie formerly lived in Winnemucca, Nevada for 32 years.
Born John Oatha Southwick, on February 10, 1938, in Boise, Idaho, Jack is the eldest child of Elmer and Gertie Southwick. He grew up living in various towns in Oregon, Utah, California, Idaho, as well as on the family ranch in Rowland, Nevada with siblings Monte (Audrey), Diane Johnson (Kimber), Michael (Susan), Bill (Lynda), Fred (Jayne), and Susan Brough (David). Jack was often known as “Johnny O”.
Jack loved horseback riding and the wide-open range. He referred to Rowland as “the celestial kingdom.” Jack often traveled to northern Nevada to visit and work on cattle ranches there.
After Jack’s family moved to Willits, California, he was a sawyer and forklift driver in a sawmill. He served his country for two years as an ambulance driver in the Army at Ft. Lewis in Washington. Jack then drove a semi-truck, working for his father’s business. He worked long days hauling lumber along the California coast from Oregon to Los Angeles. Jack often said he drove enough miles to go to the moon and back three times during those 37 years.
Jack met his beloved Dixie in Willits, and they married in 1961. They raised their children in Willits, from the early ‘60s to 1993 when they moved to Nevada. Their third child, Ricky, was born in 1966 and died in infancy. Jack and Dixie have 31 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
The gospel of Jesus Christ and family were not only the most important things in Jack’s life — they were his life. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, everything Jack and Dixie did revolved around involvement in the church, worshiping God, and making family a top priority. In 1962, Jack and Dixie were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple, with Rusty also present at the age of two months. Jack and Dixie’s four living sons each served full-time missions for the church.
He is remembered as a supportive father, always offering a vote of confidence to his kids. He always believed in them, which helped them to believe in themselves. He made them feel that they were the best kids in the world, as he would tell them, and that he was privileged to be their father. He also instilled gratitude in his children, and he taught them to treat others with respect.
Jack was known and loved by many people. His welcoming demeanor drew others to him, as he seemed to make friends instantly. He was able to relate to folks from all ages, dispositions, and walks of life. He made everyone feel valued, and he always seemed to have time to engage someone in conversation. Jack was interested in hearing what others had to say, and he would encourage them to share their thoughts.
Jack had a memory that was so vivid, it was as if he were watching the events he was describing playing out in real time. He could recount a story from childhood or other periods in his life in such detail, and remember what different people had said, that he was like a walking storybook.
Family members say Jack would’ve been a natural as an announcer, narrator, or a story-teller. He enjoyed reciting cowboy poetry at school and church events, family gatherings, and reunions. He knew many professional cowboy poets, even having opportunities himself to perform at poetry gatherings along with them.
In the past months, there were difficult times and joyful times. Jack encouraged us to, “Smile when you can.”
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Funeral services will be held Monday, June 29, 2026, at 12 p.m., at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 1249 South 48th Street, Mesa. Arizona.
The funeral also will be transmitted and shown at the Winnemucca 2nd Ward in Winnemucca, Nevada at the same date and time.
A link to view the stream of the service will later be provided.
