Remembering Gaunnie Hardin Dixon

A memorial service will be held for former California-Pacific (Cal-Pac) Annual Conference Lay Leader, Gaunnie Hardin Dixon, on Saturday, June 7 at 10 a.m. at Wilshire United Methodist Church,4350 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90005.

The church will also stream the service: https://www.youtube.com/@wilshiremem

Gaunnie served The United Methodist Church (UMC) in many capacities. 

In 1999, she retired as Director of Development and Resources from The United Methodist Ministries – Los Angeles District of the UMC. She was elected Annual Conference Lay Leader of the Cal-Pac Annual Conference and served in this capacity from 1996-2004, serving with Bishops Roy I. Sano and Mary Ann Swenson.

Prior to joining the staff of the Los Angeles District, Gaunnie was Vice President for Administration of the Financial Services Group (a Century City stock brokerage firm), Deputy Director for the Los Angeles Business Labor Council, and Administrator of the political office of then Attorney General John Van de Kamp.

Gaunnie served as co-chair of the Cal-Pac Leadership Team. She was Treasurer of the National Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders of the UMC, vice-chair of the National Urban Strategy Council of the UMC, member of the Coordinating Committee to Strengthen the Black Church for the 21st Century, and Vice-Chair and Treasurer of Western Jurisdiction Urban Network of the UMC.  She served on the Western Jurisdiction Inter-Ethnic Coordinating Committee.

Gaunnie was one of 18 Mission Interpreters of the 1987 Cal-Pac Annual Conference Team, who spent a month studying hunger and development projects in Africa. After the Cal-Pac District Realignment in 2012, Gaunnie established and Co-Chaired Loaves and Fishes in the West District through 2015. From 2013 to 2014 she Co-Chaired the West District Urban Ministries.

Gaunnie was a member of Wilshire UMC. Prior to uniting with Wilshire, she was a long-time member of Calvary UMC, and Crescent Heights UMC in Los Angeles.

She was an accredited T’ai Chi Chih instructor teaching classes in Senior Citizens Centers of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department and in United Methodist Churches. She often served as a speaker, retreat and workshop leader, and taught in United Methodist Women (UMW) Schools of Missions.

For her work she was awarded the Mildred Hutchinson Outstanding Laywoman award in 1989, the Crenshaw UMC African American Trailblazer Award in 2000, the Los Angeles District Leadership Award for Cross Cultural Ministries and Lay Leadership Development in 2004, and the Cal-Pac Annual Conference Bishop’s Award. 

Gaunnie was preceded in death by her husband Gordon, who passed away in the summer of 2017.  She is survived by her daughter, Angie McCard, one sister, nieces, nephews, and host of relatives and special friends. 

Condolences can be sent to:
Deana Reed (Grandniece)
1425 ½ South Orange Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90019