Mick Mixon’s time in the booth is coming to a close, but his time is also just starting

To understand why Mixon’s walking away at this particular time, there are a few people and places and things you have to know — the charts and the stats you have to prepare before you call this particular game.

The first at this moment is the former Dawn Elizabeth Thomas — now Mixon — his wife and partner in this next chapter of his life. (Saying all three names is one of Mixon’s charming quirks, as Julius Frazier Peppers and Cameron Jerrell Newton know well.) There are also their three grandchildren, with one on the way. But there are also Forest Orion Mixon Jr. and Sandra Mixon, Mick’s parents, who died in a commercial airline crash in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1989. They were 57 and 54 years old at the time, never able to enjoy the golden years where they could get in the shop and tinker, or paint, or spend the time they wanted with family.

Mixon wants to enjoy that time, but in recent years, time has been stretched thin. When Dawn’s father fell ill a few years ago, they decided to sell their house in Charlotte, and keep a small studio apartment here but take most of their stuff back to Burlington so she could be closer to her dad. That meant burning up the roads, too many trips up and down a mind-numbing stretch of I-85. “Two hours, door to door, and that’s with no bathroom breaks,” she said with a laugh.

As much as he loves his job, and he does, he loves his wife and the kids and he knows that time is a precious commodity.

“I think he thought about his parents a lot when he made this decision,” Dawn said. “The fact they never got to have these years stayed with him, and he wants to be able to enjoy these years while he can, while we’re healthy and able to do the things we want to do.

“For the last few years, we’ve been in two homes in two towns, two hours apart, and he wants to be in one place.”

Dawn has plenty of ideas of how to fill Mick’s hours, in case he needs any help. There are boxes of Christmas decorations in the garage which need some attention. But she also knows her husband well enough to know that with his mind, free time is fertile ground.

“I don’t know exactly what he’s going to be like, because I’ve always known him working,” she said. “At the same time, we’re very excited about what comes next. I know Mick, and he’s always going to have a project.”