DIXIE ELIOPULOS

Dixie Lee (Applegate) Eliopulos, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and aunt passed away peacefully at her home on Monday March 22. Across 6 decades in the Antelope Valley, Dixie had been a business owner and community supporter. In addition to her family, community and work activities she had for many years been active in Women’s Ministries through Grace Chapel Church in Lancaster.

Born in Weeping Water NE in 1936 to Richard Newton Applegate and Eunice (Marshall) Applegate she moved to California in 1955 and to Lancaster in 1959. Her first job in the Antelope Valley was at Antelope Valley Escrow Company, which she soon bought and successfully managed for over 40 years. Through her business Dixie met and befriended literally thousands of Valley residents. She loved being part of the transactions that gave them their homes in which to raise their own families. She also had a lifelong commitment to providing training and career opportunities in business to numerous young women, many of whom began working for her during their high school years.

She was introduced to her husband, lifelong Valley resident Ted Eliopulos (who passed away in 2005), by Roland and Patricia Duhart. Dixie shared Ted’s love for the Valley and its historical and newly arriving families. Over her lifetime here, she was active in numerous church, community and business groups including her role as an Honorary Founding Member of the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance. She served as President of the California Escrow Institute and as a Director of the California Escrow Association. In 2008 Dixie was recognized by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women as one of the County’s Women of the Year ‘for over 40 years of community activism’. She was a Founding Member of the Antelope Valley Christian Business and Professional Women’s Council. She also was a Founder of the Antelope Valley Children’s Center. For over three decades Dixie and Ted hosted an annual birthday barbecue for LA County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich; a non-partisan event where Valley-ites of all parties, ages and backgrounds celebrated memories and made new visions for the growth of a prosperous, loving and nurturing community.

Among her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews and nieces Dixie is remembered as a passionate supporter of dreams, faith in God and commitment to community and family. And if you were fortunate enough to be one of the young women in her life she passionately believed in your ability to be whomever, go wherever and achieve whatever you set your heart on. Somewhere in heaven things are getting arranged, organized and moved forward. And whoever is in charge would be well advised to ‘have a plan’.

Dixie is survived by her three sons, Antelope Valley resident Greg (Kristin Stewart), Darth (Julie Arndt) of Carlsbad and Randy of Tustin, her brother Richard Marshall Applegate (Maggie Sanseri) and her sister in law Anne Pappas Eliopulos of Torrance 12 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

There will be viewing at Halley-Olsen-Murphy Mortuary on Cedar Street in Lancaster on Monday April 12 between 5 - 6 PM. Funeral Services will be Tuesday April 13, 10 AM at Grace Chapel Church on 15th Street West in Lancaster. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Grace Resources (https://www.antelopevalley.com/grace-resource-center.html) or Care Net Women’s Resource Center (https://avcarenet.org/).