Thomas Keith Dix

T. Keith Dix, 70, died peacefully at home in Athens, GA on May 30, 2024. He is survived by his wife Naomi Norman, their son William Dix and daughter-in-law Emily Andrews (of Albuquerque, NM), his mother Margaret Dix (of Fredericksburg, VA), his brother Kevin Dix, his sisters Gill Likins and Glenys Dix, and his two nieces and a nephew.

Keith, born and raised in Virginia, left home for Princeton University in 1972 and graduated in 1976. While there, he first went to Rome, a city which would be a central part of his career and which he would continue to visit throughout his life. In addition to his studies and travels abroad, Keith was a member of the Princeton Marching Band, where he met many lifelong friends who would gather yearly for unofficial college reunions and pick up conversations started over 50 years before.

After Princeton, Keith continued his studies at the University of Michigan. He holds two Master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology and Classics from Michigan. There he made many more friends and met Naomi to whom he was married for 46 years.

Throughout his career, Keith taught thousands of students at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, the University of Michigan, the College of William and Mary, the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and the University of Georgia. In particular, he taught many students who were or would become high school Latin teachers, helping spread the love of Latin and the ancient world to subsequent generations.

As a scholar, Keith was an internationally recognized expert on ancient libraries, both public and private. He always described himself as a “utility player,” publishing on topics ranging from libraries, Vergil, Aristophanes, Roman history, and the historically important but obscure Eteocarpathians. He also participated in archaeological excavations in Israel and Tunisia. In short, he was a constantly curious lifelong learner. He was also the teller of hysterically funny stories which his family and friends will miss.

Keith was a loving husband to Naomi and was her partner in all things. When Naomi ran her excavation in Tunisia, Keith gladly shepherded a toddler by himself on transatlantic flights and was an invaluable member of the excavation team. Their life together was punctuated by time in  Rome, Carthage, and Athens—Greece and Georgia.

Keith was also a loving father to William. Camera in hand, he was a fixture on the sideline of William’s soccer, baseball, and basketball games—never has an athlete so unskilled been the subject of so many pictures. Keith was welcoming and kind to William’s friends, both in childhood and once William became an adult.

Naomi and William thank Tasha Bufford and Tedra Thomas for their years of support and care for Keith.

There will be a funeral service for Keith at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens, GA on Friday, June 7, 2024, at 10:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to Habitat for Humanity (https://dub.sh/habitat-keith), the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome (https://dub.sh/centro-keith), the Episcopal Church at Princeton (https://dub.sh/ecp-keith), or Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens (https://dub.sh/emmanuel-keith).

Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.