William J. Nixon Jr.

William J. Nixon, Jr. was born on October 12, 1929, in Providence, Rhode Island, and died at his Florida home on January 16, 2026. He was a descendant of a family that migrated from the British Isles in the early 1600s. As a boy, he had happy memories of camping with the Boy Scouts and playing ice hockey on Meshanticut Lake.

Bill graduated from Cranston High School and then served an apprenticeship at Brown & Sharpe as a machinist, a family tradition. He served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Dixie out of San Diego, California, deploying to the Philippines and Japan. Bill graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1958. As senior class president, he initiated the class gift: the granite ram that still stands in front of the Student Union. Bill continued his education at Rhode Island College, earning both a Master's degree and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies.

He worked as a machinist in California on the Atlas Missile. Later, Bill taught Machine Processes and Economics at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts, and served as a consultant for the Rhode Island State Department of Education in vocational training.

A longtime car enthusiast, Bill was an avid collector of automobiles. His interest in real estate led him to invest in property on Cape Cod and in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He was a major owner and President of the Alpine Inn in North Conway and a major partner in developing Bartlett Place, a condominium complex in Bartlett, New Hampshire, where he maintained vacation homes for over 60 years.

Always an athlete, he swam and water-skied, but his favorite sport was downhill racing. At age 50, he became interested in Giant Slalom ski racing. He raced throughout New England and in national events until he was 91 years old. In these events, he consistently won gold medals, beating the competition in his age category. He won many trophies and over 300 gold medals.

Bill's primary residence since 1976 was a 1901 historic home on Narragansett Bay on Warwick Neck. As a resident, he served on the Board of Directors of the Warwick Neck Improvement Association. As President of the Association, he researched and edited two editions of Warwick Neck: A Collection of Memories, a 381-page book that is presently available in digital format. As a founding father of the Warwick Neck 4th of July parade, he organized and hosted this major event for the Association for 28 years.

He served on the Rhode Island Board of the Salvation Army and the Board of Directors of the Warwick Country Club, where he contributed as editor of the Club's publication, The Eagle Eye, and served as Club President. Bill enjoyed sailing on Narragansett Bay and spent vacations in many parts of the United States and Europe. He was an avid traveler. Over the years, he received several citations from the Rhode Island Senate and the Warwick City Council.

In his retirement years, Bill and his wife of 58 years spent several months a year in their home in Ponte Vedra, Florida. This is where he peacefully died with his wife, Madeline, by his side.

He is survived by his sister, Carolyn Morrison, and her three sons, Jeffrey, Douglas, and Mark, and their families; and his brother-in-law, James Farrell, his wife, Marianne Collinson, and his two sons, Joseph and James, and their families.

There was a Mass to honor him in Ponte Vedra, Florida. He will be buried in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island. A Celebration of Life luncheon will be held in Rhode Island in late spring.

Rest in Peace, Bill, good and faithful servant.