Write a commentIn celebration of May as National Older Americans Month, the Oswego County Office for the Aging (OFA) has selected Barbara Dix as its 2025 Senior of the Year.
The award serves to recognize seniors for their contributions to their communities.
“We’re thrilled to recognize Barbara Dix as our 2025 Senior of the Year as part of our celebration of National Older Americans Month,” said OFA Director Sara Sunday. “Barbara has been serving her communities for most of her life and continues to stay active in volunteerism. Through her hard work and dedication, Barbara has truly made an impact on Oswego County and is a perfect example of what it means to be Senior of the Year.”
Dix has been a volunteer for more than 70 years and continues making a difference in Oswego County. She has been a board member for many local organizations throughout the years, including the Oswego County Council for the Arts, the Heritage Foundation of Oswego County, the Oswego County Tourism Advisory Council, the Office for the Aging Advisory Board, Camp Talooli, American Red Cross, and Friends of Fort Ontario.
She served as Chairperson of the Oswego County Underground Railroad Commission and was president of the Member Association of Public Historians of New York State. Dix also founded the Oswego County Genealogy Society.
In addition to her presence on many boards, Dix taught Sunday school at her church for many years and was involved in their events and programs. She spearheaded blood donation drives at the Phoenix United Methodist Church, which the Red Cross relied upon to meet their quotas.
Dix is currently the historian of both the village of Phoenix and the town of Schroeppel and has served in these roles for over three decades. She was also the Oswego County Historian and Records Manager for several years and served as clerk for the village of Phoenix and deputy clerk for the town of Schroeppel.
Throughout her life, Dix has been awarded multiple accolades, including New York State Historian of the Year and Village of Phoenix Woman of the Year. Last year, the Oswego County Legislature recognized her for her dedication to preserving local history during her career as a historian.
Dix was presented with a proclamation by the Oswego County Legislature in recognition of her volunteerism at the May legislative meeting. She will also be recognized by the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) at a ceremony on May 27 at The Desmond Hotel in Albany.
Each year, the NYSOFA requests nominations of seniors in recognition of their volunteer work and service to their communities. Oswego County OFA extends the request to county citizens and a committee appointed by OFA’s advisory council makes the selection. To be eligible, nominees must be age 60 or over and be active volunteers.
For more information on the Oswego County Office for the Aging and its services, call 315-349-3484.
