Obituary for Dixie Lee Cherrington
Dixie Lee Cherrington, age 83 of Mt. Adams, died June 12, 2020. She was the beloved wife of the late Roy Kreissl, devoted mother of Libby Cherrington, caring step-mother of Scott and Jaime (Shara) Kreissl, loving grandmother of Jack Kendrick and Tristan & Zane Kreissl, cherished sister of Polly Brown and the late Barbara Mendelson & Robert Cherrington, adored sister-in-law of Susan Cherrington, and dear aunt of Jen Mendelson. Friends may visit at T.P. White & Sons Funeral Home, 2050 Beechmont Avenue, Mt. Washington, on Thursday, June 18th from 6 to 8 pm. A private family Mass will be held at Holy Cross Immaculata Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Margaret Hall, 1960 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH. 45206 or Mercy Montessori School Alumni Fund, 2335 Grandview Ave., Cincinnati, OH. 45206.
Dixie, before the restaurant:
Before Dixie even opened her restaurant she had a twenty-year career in media which began with writing advertising jingles and commercials for WHIZ-TV/Radio in her hometown of Zanesville. Drawn to the bright lights of big city Cincy, she built on that experience to land a job at Taft Broadcasting, and became the manager of the television traffic department at WKRC. Television traffic includes responsibility for the daily broadcast log, management of relationships with advertisers, compliance with FCC rules etc. Always the hardest-working person at “Tall 12,” she would fly down the halls with her arms full of videotapes and films, blond hair streaming behind her, to instruct the engineers on which commercials to run when and where, or to get the matinee movie to the control room for the afternoon broadcast. After eighteen years at Taft (in the company of some of Cincinnati’s early TV stars, like Nick Clooney, Glenn Ryle, and Bob Shreve) she moved on to the same position at WXIX-TV, continuing to nurture her dream of opening her own restaurant. Finally she stepped out in faith, liquidated her retirement savings and opened Cherrington’s, an intimate bistro where only the best and freshest food was served with love. Jim Tarbell called Dixie “the epitome of the owner-operator in the restaurant community” because she made everything- EVERYTHING, even salad dressing- herself from scratch. Her pecan rolls, her banana cream pie, her meatloaf, were all legendary.
"Recipe for Life"
Dixie loved everyone that walked in the front door. It didn't matter if someone walked in with a fur coat or the only coat, she loved everyone. She loved with food and with care. Everyone would ask how was it that her cooking tasted so special? It was because she always added one special ingredient, love. Throughout her life she spent time caring for others. Early on, she spent time volunteering at Longview hospital. She devoted countless hours working at soup kitchens, community centers, and various fundraisers for several organizations throughout the city. She believed everyone should be loved and feel loved. At her restaurant, Cherrington's, she probably gave away more food than sold it. She quietly fought gender battles while owning and running her own restaurant. She developed special relationships with her staff, her vendors, her customers, and of course, her Mt. Adams neighbors. She loved Immaculata Church and doing anything she could to help it. She prepared the Church Festival Dinner for over 40 years. Although only having one daughter, she considered many individuals, her children. She loved Mercy Montessori School, where she sent her daughter. She loved the staff and the whole community. She would often tear up and say, "I just love that school!" She deeply loved her husband, Roy. She tirelessly took care of him through cancer until the end. She felt lost without him. She was a devoted mother and a grandmother. With the help of a village around her, she attended every school event, worked fundraisers, and even attended a field trip or two. She absolutely loved being a mother and absolutely loved her daughter. Her grandson Jack was her pride and joy. She left work to take care of him during the weekdays for the first two years of his life. She gave him a wonderful love of reading. She read to him everyday, all day. She loved to read and she loved music. Beyond cooking, music was her true passion. She left Zanesville, Ohio, around the age of 20 and moved to Cincinnati in 1959. She lived at the Y and then found her real home in Mt. Adams. She attended CCM. She wanted to become a singer. She was very proud to be able to say she had the same voice coach as Doris Day. Music filled her life, from her obsession with Frank Sinatra to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. She sang in nightclubs in the 1960s and early 70s. She loved jazz, musicals, classical, and opera. In the last few years, she loved the staff and sisters at St. Margaret Hall where she resided. She continued to love her neighbors on the first floor and eventually the third. Although she only lived there for a year and a half, she developed special friendships with so many. She was a devoted Catholic and loved Mother Teresa and St. Francis of Assisi. Most of all, Dixie just loved. She loved with all of her heart to whoever she encountered.
Some classic Dixie sayings:
1. I'd rather die first than drink from the cup of mediocrity. (From a Stella Artois add campaign that she had hanging in her room)
2. I want to be a gypsy, greek, or italian, when I grow up (depending on the day)
3. With the grace of God and a few good friends
4. You can do anything you put your mind to
5. Zorba!
6. My Frank, I just love that man!
7. Why would anyone want to be normal. Normal is boring.
8. Don't worry, God is taking care of it
9. God doesn't give you what you can't handle
10. Give love to everyone you meet, you never know, they could be Jesus.
Dixie, before the restaurant:
Before Dixie even opened her restaurant she had a twenty-year career in media which began with writing advertising jingles and commercials for WHIZ-TV/Radio in her hometown of Zanesville. Drawn to the bright lights of big city Cincy, she built on that experience to land a job at Taft Broadcasting, and became the manager of the television traffic department at WKRC. Television traffic includes responsibility for the daily broadcast log, management of relationships with advertisers, compliance with FCC rules etc. Always the hardest-working person at “Tall 12,” she would fly down the halls with her arms full of videotapes and films, blond hair streaming behind her, to instruct the engineers on which commercials to run when and where, or to get the matinee movie to the control room for the afternoon broadcast. After eighteen years at Taft (in the company of some of Cincinnati’s early TV stars, like Nick Clooney, Glenn Ryle, and Bob Shreve) she moved on to the same position at WXIX-TV, continuing to nurture her dream of opening her own restaurant. Finally she stepped out in faith, liquidated her retirement savings and opened Cherrington’s, an intimate bistro where only the best and freshest food was served with love. Jim Tarbell called Dixie “the epitome of the owner-operator in the restaurant community” because she made everything- EVERYTHING, even salad dressing- herself from scratch. Her pecan rolls, her banana cream pie, her meatloaf, were all legendary.
"Recipe for Life"
Dixie loved everyone that walked in the front door. It didn't matter if someone walked in with a fur coat or the only coat, she loved everyone. She loved with food and with care. Everyone would ask how was it that her cooking tasted so special? It was because she always added one special ingredient, love. Throughout her life she spent time caring for others. Early on, she spent time volunteering at Longview hospital. She devoted countless hours working at soup kitchens, community centers, and various fundraisers for several organizations throughout the city. She believed everyone should be loved and feel loved. At her restaurant, Cherrington's, she probably gave away more food than sold it. She quietly fought gender battles while owning and running her own restaurant. She developed special relationships with her staff, her vendors, her customers, and of course, her Mt. Adams neighbors. She loved Immaculata Church and doing anything she could to help it. She prepared the Church Festival Dinner for over 40 years. Although only having one daughter, she considered many individuals, her children. She loved Mercy Montessori School, where she sent her daughter. She loved the staff and the whole community. She would often tear up and say, "I just love that school!" She deeply loved her husband, Roy. She tirelessly took care of him through cancer until the end. She felt lost without him. She was a devoted mother and a grandmother. With the help of a village around her, she attended every school event, worked fundraisers, and even attended a field trip or two. She absolutely loved being a mother and absolutely loved her daughter. Her grandson Jack was her pride and joy. She left work to take care of him during the weekdays for the first two years of his life. She gave him a wonderful love of reading. She read to him everyday, all day. She loved to read and she loved music. Beyond cooking, music was her true passion. She left Zanesville, Ohio, around the age of 20 and moved to Cincinnati in 1959. She lived at the Y and then found her real home in Mt. Adams. She attended CCM. She wanted to become a singer. She was very proud to be able to say she had the same voice coach as Doris Day. Music filled her life, from her obsession with Frank Sinatra to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. She sang in nightclubs in the 1960s and early 70s. She loved jazz, musicals, classical, and opera. In the last few years, she loved the staff and sisters at St. Margaret Hall where she resided. She continued to love her neighbors on the first floor and eventually the third. Although she only lived there for a year and a half, she developed special friendships with so many. She was a devoted Catholic and loved Mother Teresa and St. Francis of Assisi. Most of all, Dixie just loved. She loved with all of her heart to whoever she encountered.
Some classic Dixie sayings:
1. I'd rather die first than drink from the cup of mediocrity. (From a Stella Artois add campaign that she had hanging in her room)
2. I want to be a gypsy, greek, or italian, when I grow up (depending on the day)
3. With the grace of God and a few good friends
4. You can do anything you put your mind to
5. Zorba!
6. My Frank, I just love that man!
7. Why would anyone want to be normal. Normal is boring.
8. Don't worry, God is taking care of it
9. God doesn't give you what you can't handle
10. Give love to everyone you meet, you never know, they could be Jesus.