Alexander W. Nixon, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, passed away on November 23, 2024 in Tavares, Florida. His death at age 73 was due to complications of diabetes and cancer. Born in Hot Springs, VA, February 8, 1951, and raised in Westfield, NY, he was the eldest of the six children of the late Alastair and Joanne Nixon.
Following his graduation from the Choate School, with excellence in Latin, he received a degree from Cornell University in Labor Economics and Hotel Administration. He rowed and he studied organ at both schools.
For the following seven years he worked as a communications analyst and investment banker at Solomon Brothers in Manhattan, NY. He continued to pursue additional education at the School of American Ballet, the Institute of Theology at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and at Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
He served as a Trustee of the Choate Rosemary Hall School, the New York Oration Society, Chairman of Special projects for the New York City Ballet, and a Trustee of the Patterson Library, Vestryman and Head of Rebuilding for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Carroll Gardens) in Brooklyn among others. His contributions to medical research and other causes were anonymous.
During the mind 1970’s he was companion to Lincoln Kirstein, the cofounder, with George Balanchine, of the New York City ballet and School of American Ballet.
His varied interests included Pipe organ rebuilding (He installed a pipe organ in his NYC brownstone apartment) and extensive building renovations for 15 buildings. He declined a Ford Foundation grant to study organ building in Holland in order to work with L. Kirstein on studies of the work of the Sufi Philosopher George Gurdjieff.
Many of his projects have appeared in the NY Times, the International Herald Tribune, and other major magazines, both in the US and abroad.
In 1980, he acquired the JCH Company which to this day still makes Theatrical Stage Curtains and other TV and print work. Parallel Mfg., maker of mirror balls, was his next acquisition.
A later move to Florida to expand his business led him to become the City Administrator of Umatilla, FL. This allowed him to pursue a lifelong interest in infrastructure and planned growth. He initiated the Florida Black Bear Festival and led extensive infrastructure renovation and expansion projects.
For nearly fifty years he has been a mentor and life coach for nearly 100 young men and women. This parallels the Apostolic and Ballet traditions of passing knowledge on to the next generation.
He is survived by his son, Joselito (Darlean) Ruiz, grandsons, Jay, Alexander, and Josie,; his brother Peter (Janet) Nixon; his sisters Anne Nixon, Catherine (John) Godlove, Barbara (Kevin) Policay and Nancy (Jake) Ensign.
He will be interred in the columbarium he had built at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Carroll Gardens) in Brooklyn.