Howard Dixon, a man of abundant interests, remembered for his enthusiasm for trivia and people

Every Tuesday evening before he died, Howard Dixon would join his ever-growing trivia team at the Crystal VFW Post 494, order his signature Johnnie Walker Black, and strategize for the night's competition.

Friends and family say that Dixon, a retired accountant-turned-Minneapolis real estate agent, grew fanatical for those nights. His knowledge of presidential history and '60s era television helped his "Jersey Kids" trivia team regularly make top scores when competing.

But loved ones believe that Dixon was actually fanatical for people — a source of openness and curiosity that he invested in through much of his life.

"Pretty much everyone he met became friends," said Melissa Croft, one of Dixon's close friends. "He was always down if you wanted to get together, get out of the house or talk about something; he was always available."

Dixon died on Sept. 1 at 75 due to complications from a brain tumor. People who were close to him feel that Dixon's impact will reach far beyond his years to influence others.

Dixon, a native of Millville, N.J., moved to Minnesota after serving in the Army but remained close to family and friends in his home state. Howard's son, Thomas Dixon, said they visited his native state often, building memories.

"My dad and I used to go get subs and cheese steaks, pizza and all that. It was just a lot of fun," Thomas Dixon said. "In my opinion, he's one of the greatest guys to ever walk the planet."

Piano and musical theater were some of Howard's lasting passions, but Jonathan said it was his character that became a model for people around him.

"It was so important to him to make connections with people. No matter how many people he knew, he somehow always had time for everybody," Jonathan Dixon said. "It seemed like he had things figured out relatively early."

Howard's life took a turn for the better when he logged into an AOL chatroom in the late 1990s. That's how he met Jerry Foss, his life partner who, loved ones say, made a huge impact on everyone around him.

Foss pushed Howard to become more social and left a gap in Dixon's life when he died of brain cancer in 2017. Howard was devastated, but he began putting energy toward a new career with Edina Realty, traveling and hobbies. That's when Howard became close with his niece Ruthie Dixon—also a New Jersey native — and the two bonded over trivia nights.

"He couldn't stay in the house any longer; it was just way too sad for him," Ruthie Dixon said. "It was just the two of us [at trivia] the first week. ... We came in third place that first time, and it was kind of exhilarating."

"He liked the conversation," she said. "He really enjoyed learning about people and connecting with them."

Howard cultivated that openness to people during his time with Jerry, and Ruthie believes others may learn to do the same. Family and friends gathered on Sept. 6 for their first trivia night without Howard, recognizing him with a moment of silence.

Jersey Kids took first place.