Ralph William Nix

Ralph William Nix peacefully passed away of leukemia Sep 27, 2007 at his home in Capitola. He was born in Alhambra, CA, 17 Sep., 1922 to Harold S. and Blanche Elwood Nix, the youngest of three children. He was raised in Taft, CA where his father worked in the oilfields and then taught metal shop. Ralph attended Taft Jr. College after graduating from Taft High School. He spent one summer in Quartzite, AZ learning to fly and obtained his pilot's license. When WWII came he joined the Air Force as a bombardier and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the missions he flew from Halesworth Air Force Base, Holton, England into Germany and other enemy locations as a member of the 489th Bomb Group.

While in basic training he married Barbara Sallady from Taft in Casper, Wyoming. Their first daughter Catherine was born while Ralph was stationed in England. Their second daughter, Cynthia was born while Ralph was attending San Jose State after the war.

After graduating from San Jose State, Ralph taught junior and senior high school, first at Eastside, in Lancaster, California from 1949 to 1952 then at San Lorenzo Valley first in Boulder Creek, then in Felton, CA when the new high school was completed. Ralph retired from teaching in 1979. He later worked as a cataloguer in the UCSC library from 1980 thru 1988.

After retiring from the library he and his second wife Louise Parreira Nix moved to Sonoma, CA to be near Louise's family. Ralph and Louise had one son, James, who was born in 1963. James and family, Dr. Carole Müller-Nix and son Paul reside in Lausanne, Switzerland. Louise passed away in 1995.

In 1999, Ralph married Gay McGowan Byington. The couple resided for a short period in Sonoma and then moved to Gay's home in Capitola, CA where they enjoyed eight happy years of travel and companionship.

Ralph is survived by his first wife and friend Barbara Ross of Littlerock, CA; her brother and Ralph's oldest and dearest friend Mike Sallady of Stockton, CA; his wife Gay and her children, Ben, Donna and Ernie and her four grandchildren; son James Carole, daughters Cathy Woodard John of Corning, CA, Cindy Bud Fassett of Lancaster, CA; eight grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial service is scheduled for Monday Oct. 22nd at 1PM at Benito and Azzaro, Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga St. Santa Cruz, CA. followed by reception at Tradewinds Clubhouse, 4160 Jade St., Capitola.

Interment was Oct. 3rd at Calvary Cemetery in Petaluma, CA.

In lieu of flowers family requests donations be made to Hanna Boys Farm; Guide Dogs for the Blind; Rett Syndrome at The International Rett Syndrome Foundation, 4600 Devitt Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45246 or a charity of your choice.