William "Bill" Preston Preston Nixon, Jr. MD

William “Bill” Preston Nixon, Jr., MD, age 83, of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on November 12, 2025. Bill was married to Sandra Nixon, and together they built a family that was the center of his world. He is survived by his children: Dee Willis; Bud (Deborah) Nixon; Trot (Kathryn) Nixon; and Ginger (Jason) Isley. He was a proud and loving grandfather to Matthew Willis; Lauren Smith; Cameron Caison; Kristen Nixon; Sandy Nixon; Lily Nixon; Chase Nixon; Luke Nixon; and Hudson Isley. His legacy continues through his great-grandchildren Raegan and Levi Butler, and Zach and Zoey Caison.

Bill was born to the late Bonnie and Preston Nixon, and grew up in a close-knit family alongside his siblings Deborah Green, Ed Nixon, Gene Nixon, Amy Cullipher, Kay Winslow and Charlotte Stallings in Hertford, North Carolina. He went on to lead a life defined by compassion, service, and generosity—always guided by a deep love for his family and community.

Bill graduated from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College), where he played baseball and discovered his lifelong passion for medicine. He went on to graduate valedictorian of his class at the Medical College of Virginia and completed his nephrology training at Duke Medical Center.

Answering the call to serve his country, Bill proudly served as a Lieutenant Commander MC in the United States Navy, receiving an Honorable character of service and earning the National Defense Service Medal.

After completing his medical training, Bill settled in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he became a pioneer in renal medicine. He founded the Southeastern Dialysis Center (SEDC) and Southeastern Nephrology Associates, transforming kidney care throughout the region and touching countless lives through his skill, compassion, and dedication. When he moved to Wilmington, the only outpatient dialysis unit in the area operated in the basement of New Hanover hospital. With support from nephrologists at Duke, Bill persuaded the hospital to allow the creation of an outpatient dialysis unit outside the hospital. After the Wilmington dialysis unit opened in 1979, Bill’s leadership guided SEDC’s growth well beyond the city. The first satellite unit opened in Whiteville, followed by additional centers that brought care to patients in Jacksonville, Kenansville, Elizabethtown, Shallotte, Burgaw, and Warsaw.

A lifelong sports enthusiast—especially of baseball and football—Bill invested deeply in the athletic and educational communities he loved. His philanthropy helped shape sports facilities and opportunities across North Carolina, including:

· Bleachers at Hardee Field and the press box at Legion Stadium/Jurgenson-Gabriel Field

· The Nixon Athletic Annex at UNCW’s Trask Coliseum

· The Almkuist–Nixon Athletic Rehabilitation Center at UNCW

· Nixon SAA Scholarship at UNCW to provide scholarships for student-athletes

· Nixon Field (baseball) at Barton College

· The Nixon Nursing Building at Barton College

· The Nixon Athletic Complex at Perquimans County High School, including football, soccer, track, and field house facilities

· Contributions to the Jim “Catfish” Hunter Baseball Complex, including covered bleachers and a press box dedicated to coaches Bob Carter and Pete Hunter

His devotion to athletics earned him induction into the UNCW Hall of Fame in 1999, and he proudly served as president of the Seahawk Club in 1985.

Bill will be remembered for his kindness, humility, and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others—whether through medicine, mentorship, philanthropy, or friendship. His influence will live on through the many people and communities he enriched.

A memorial service will be held on November 25, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Pine Valley Methodist Church in Wilmington, North Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to any of Bill’s favorite charities: the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Wounded Warriors, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Wilmington Funeral & Cremation - Wilmington Chapel, 1535 S. 41st Street Wilmington, NC 28403, (910) 791-9099. 

A graveside service will be held on December 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Cedarwood Cemetery, 300 Hyde Park Street Hertford, North Carolina 27944. 

Miller & Van Essendelft Funeral Home, 1125 Harvey Point Road, Hertford is assisting the family with the graveside service arrangements and online condolences may be made by visiting www.millerfhc.com