Ronald Keith Nixon

The arms of our Lord now surround this loving Nixon Family as they say a loving farewell to their beloved: Brother Ronald Keith Nixon.  Brother Nixon passed on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. 

OBITUARY

Ronald Keith Nixon was born on October 4, 1956 in Adel, Georgia to the the union of the late Solomon Nixon, Sr. and the late Mattie Louise Deloach Nixon.

Ronald was previously married to the late Jamaine Anderson Nixon. To this union, one son, James Anderson Nixon was born.

At an early age Ronald accepted his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and joined Williams Chapel CME Church in Hawkinsville, Georgia.  He served as Sunday School Superintendent and as an Usher.  After moving to Tifton, he joined Everette Temple CME Church where he served in the following capacity until his illness: Trustee, Lay Organization, Usher and Assistant Church Secretary.

He was educated in the Cook County School System and the Pulaski County School System. Ronald was an all around youth participating in the band, football Team and tennis team in his high school years. He graduated from Hawkinsville High School.  He furthered his studies at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service where he graduated in 1978.

Ronald’s work included

Professional:

Establishments

Employed at Frank and Solomon Nixon Funeral Home: 1975 – Present (45 Years)

Employed at Lee Funeral Home: 1977 – 2000

Apprenticed under Ben Hatcher until it became Lee-Nixon Funeral Home in 1979
Became Licensed Embalmer and assistant to management

Became a Licensed Funeral Director in 1979

Became a Licensed Embalmer in 1980

Licensed Embalmer, Stevens Funeral Home: 1982 – 1999
Licensed Embalmer, Davis Funeral Home: 1990 – 2005
Licensed Embalmer, Hall Funeral Home:  1980s and 1990s (Part-time)
Licensed Embalmer, MLK Memorial Funeral Directors: 1989 – 1992
Professional Helper, Cloud and Son Funeral Home: A LOT
Filled in as embalmer for the “Big Six” when they traveled

Member Affiliations

Vice-Chair, Fourth District of Georgia Funeral Service Practitioner’s Association (GFSPA), 1989 under Mr. E. O. Thomas until his death and as Chairman, after his death from 1989 – 1990

Board Member at-large, GFSPA under several presidents: Cloud, Barnes, Levett, Young, Tucker and Hurt
Active member of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association (NFD&MA) and regular attendee its convention, House of Representatives meeting (Spring) and Board of Directors (Fall) meeting— he has served as voting delegate and as an alternate delegate

Political:

Elected to the Tift County Board of Commissioners in 1985 as one of the first two African-Americans in its history; served for 14 years

As a Commissioner, served:  as the official check signing commissioner, on the Jail committee for the new law enforcement center, the search committee for the first ever county manager and as the public safety commissioner.

Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) representative on the Georgia Fire Fighters Standards and Training Council
Vice-Chairman of the Public Safety and Courts Committee in 1988 and 1989;

Chairman, 1989-1990

South Georgia Rural Development Commission Board of Directors as a Commissioner and as a minority representative: Present
Board of Directors of Tift County Residential Housing Corporation (non-profit)
Two most prized projects were the establishment of the Tift Lift Transit system and the Tift Community Health Clinic in conjunction with Tift Regional Medical Center

Community:

American Cancer Society, 1988-1990
Hospice of Tiftarea, Trainer, African-American Culture, 1989-1991
PROMISE Men’s Club, Charter Member

Charter Treasurer
Miss Black Tiftarea Committee Member
Chief Bar-B-Que Cook for the Love Affair booth

Rotary Club of Tift County
Graduate of Leadership Tifton
Coastal Plains HeadStart Policy Council

Vice-President, 1985
President, 1986-1989

Tifton Soup Kitchen, Volunteer
Deputy Election Poll Manager, 2000-2013

In the past few years before retiring, Ronald received two very important and rewarding awards of his life.

Being named 2009 GFSPA Mortician of the Year
Being honored as 2018 Lay Person of the year at his church.

On March 22, 2015, he married his best friend, the love of his life Rosemary Street.

On April 21, 2020, God looked down and saw His beautiful child who had labored and been faithful in His vineyard for many years.  While looking down, He said to his child, Well done my good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over few things and now I will make you ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of the Land. So on that day Ronald said, “I’m ready”.  With those words he went home to be with his Savior Jesus Christ.

Ronald leaves to tell the story of his season to a devoted and loving wife, Rosemary Nixon, a son, James Anderson Nixon (Angeanette), a brother, Solomon Nixon, Jr. (Sharon), two sisters, Debra A. Nixon, and Opal A. Nixon, two bonus Sons, Bryan Williams (Margie), and Jarvis White (Teara), two sisters-in-law, Tanja Edwards, and Jean Lott (Roy), one niece Stephanie DeShazer,  two nephews, Nicholas Graydon and Solomon Nixon, III.  He also leaves a Godmother, who was like a mother, Lillie Belle Washington, and God sisters, Vernetta Demery, Carolyn Bridges (George) and a host of cousins, and friends.

 Beside his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Carolyn Graydon and A God Sister like a sister Bobby Jean Horton.

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