A Celebration of Life will take place Monday, August 24, 2026.
Visitation: 10–11 a.m.
Service: 11 a.m., followed by a light luncheonSycamore Hill Church
505 School House Rd
Hockessin, DE 19707
Michael Steven Dixon, director, facilities and planning for the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware, died on August 4, 2026. He was 66.
Since joining UD in 2022, Mr. Dixon provided planning, direction and guidance for the college’s numerous facilities on main campus and the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) campus.
Mr. Dixon made a lasting impression during his relatively short time at UD, said his colleague Pat Dennis, assistant director of engineering facilities planning.
“He’s one of the best people I’ve ever worked for or with,” said Dennis, who has worked at UD for almost 43 years. “We really clicked right off the bat and were a good team.”
Mr. Dixon was well-liked across the College of Engineering and UD’s broader facilities community, Dennis added.
Mark Dobbins, senior business officer at the College of Engineering, also came to rely on Mr. Dixon’s expertise.
“His work touched every aspect of the college,” said Dobbins. “He was a highly competent manager and had a wealth of experience from other institutions.”
Donnie Golden, laboratory manager in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, remembered Mr. Dixon as a quiet and thoughtful person whose wisdom never needed to announce itself.
“He was soft-spoken, humble and seemed to me without ego,” Golden said. “During work difficulties, he gave me a sense of quiet control and that things would be okay.”
Mr. Dixon spent more than 15 years at The Ohio State University, where he led facilities operations for the medical center as well as academic, research and administrative facilities. After his time at OSU, he moved closer to his hometown in southeastern Pennsylvania, holding positions at the Brandywine River Museum and The College of New Jersey. Earlier in his career, he worked at Winterthur Museum and General Motors.
Among his contributions at UD was supporting the installation of a large robotic testing system used for biomedical engineering research. Mr. Dixon brought expertise from his previous work with robotic systems in the automotive industry, sharing that knowledge with UD researchers and helping guide installation of the system.
Dennis and Dobbins said they will remember Mr. Dixon’s sense of humor, as well as his love of sports, especially the Phillies and Philadelphia’s other professional teams. Dennis, a lifelong Dodgers fan, enjoyed a friendly rivalry with Mr. Dixon during baseball season. During football season, however, the two bonded in support of the Eagles.
“We had a lot of highs and lows the last few seasons,” Dennis said.
Dennis and Mr. Dixon are pictured after winning the cornhole competition at a 2023 staff picnic. Courtesy of Pat Dennis.
In addition to watching sports, Mr. Dixon enjoyed tending his landscaping, reading and singing.
He was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1960 and grew up in Oxford, Pennsylvania. He received a degree in mechanical engineering from General Motors Institute in Flint, Michigan, and later earned his professional engineering license.
Mr. Dixon is survived by his wife, Glenda; his children, Matthew and Joy; his five grandchildren; and his mother, Anna. He was preceded in death by his father, William.
To share a memory or send condolences to the family, please visit https://www.longwoodfuneralhome.com/obituary/MichaelSteven-Dixon.