Alicia "Mimi" Dillon's Obituary
God gave the world a gift and he called her back home on Feb 5th, 2017. Alicia Dillon, The Queen of Ballroom Dancing, waltzed through heaven’s gates and will dance eternally with the angels in our heavenly kingdom. As a ball room dance instructor,
her impact was beyond measure touching and changing the lives of countless students. Alicia had the greatest impact on her family. She was bold and strong of character. She was a wife, a sister, a mother and a Mimi.
Alicia was born in 1920 in Laredo, Mexico and raised in Port Arthur, TX. She has been a resident of Longview since the 1950’s. She is survived by her husband Jay D. Dillon. Her children include Gilbert Hernandez Jr. and wife Rita, John Hernandez and wife Lillian, Sylvia Miller, Cynthia Warren and husband Kenneth and Harry Cantrell and wife Karen. Her legacy will live on through her 5 children, 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Blessed with natural dancing ability, Alicia was an accomplished and award winning dancer and instructor for Arthur Murray Studios. She met and became close friends with Arthur Murray and taught his instructors for over 20 years. She also spent time working as Dance Director at Fred Astaire Studios in Houston. She moved to Longview in the 1950’s where she began to make her mark on East Texas by teaching dance classes and private lessons. She opened Alicia’s Latin Quarter Supper Club and later Alicia’s Ballroom Dance Club. She was also active in her community. She was philanthropic and lived a benevolent life supporting many charities in Longview and across East Texas.
Alicia did so much more than teach people to dance; she made a difference in people’s lives. She was a light that guided people to realize their inner strength. Through her teaching, she helped people build confidence and learn to believe in themselves. She blessed the world with wisdom, love and relentless encouragement. She helped people unlock their greatness. She was and always will be immensely loved, strongly admired and greatly respected by her friends and family.
She will be deeply missed but her spirit will live on through the profound influence she has had on her students, family and friends.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at 11 am, Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Longview. Interment will follow in the mausoleum at Lakeview Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Tuesday from 5-7pm at Rader Funeral Home in Longview with a Recitation of the Rosary following the visitation.
What’s your fondest memory of Alicia?
What’s a lesson you learned from Alicia?
Share a story where Alicia's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Alicia you’ll never forget.
How did Alicia make you smile?
