Ronald Nixon

Obituary For Ronald Nixon

Ronald Keith Nixon

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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. Beside his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Carolyn Graydon.

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 on to 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.

1. Being named GFSPA Mortician of the Year 2. Being honored as 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 aGodmother, who was like a mother, Lillie Belle Washington, a God sister, Vernetta Demery and a host of cousins, and friends.