Following years of civic duty and dedication to Kent State, Helen Westcott Dix, 96, died Wednesday night after years of diminishing health. Helen’s late husband Robert C. Dix was the publisher of the Record-Courier, and their son, David Dix, who took over for his father, survives both.

Beloved in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Helen was the fourth editor of the Daily Kent Stater and is honored by an annual JMC scholarship, though Helen herself was not a journalism student. She graduated from Kent State with a master’s in business and picked up a few journalism classes on the side, as the program was not offered at the time.

However, Helen’s reach extended outside the realm of journalism. She donated her time and funds to numerous organizations throughout her years, including Robinson Memorial Hospital, the Burbick Foundation and the Portage County Gardeners, among others.

Her generosity was not ignored. Kent State awarded her the University Medallion, the Distinguished Alumni Award and the KSU Lifetime Achievement Award. The City of Kent Chamber of Commerce honored her with the Kent Medal of Public Service, and the Portage Park District gave her 103 acres for a park as a 90th birthday gift.

These awards are a glimpse at the life Helen led — a life filled with charity, public service and devotion to Portage County.

Helen reminds us to look beyond ourselves. She dedicated her life to improving the community in which she lived — a quality we can all learn from. It’s easy to live in a town, but actually changing the place for the better takes a special kind of person.

We encourage you to pay respects at the memorial service on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the United Methodist Church of Kent.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.