Nancy Johnson Nixon

Nancy Lee Johnson Nixon, 88, died on May 31, 2024 in Olney, MD.  Ms. Nixon was a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Born on July 1, 1935, Nancy graduated from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina in 1957. She moved to Florida to teach science, a life-long career in several locations until her retirement in 1995.

Nancy met her husband, Bill, at her first teaching job in Florida.  Bill was a fellow eighth grade science teacher across the hall at the Florida school.  They wed April 4, 1958 and remained married for 42 years until Bill’s death on June 21, 2000. Bill began working for NASA, and they lived in several homes including Charlotte, NC; Winter Park, Orlando, and Titusville, FL; and Silver Spring, MD.  In their retirement years, they traveled extensively, and were “snowbirds” with homes in Ft. Pierce, Florida and Saratoga Springs, NY; later settling in Poquoson, VA near son Mark and his family.

Once widowed, Nancy moved to Silver Spring, MD, to be near daughter Leanne and her family.  Gifted in many skills including crafts, sewing and cake decorating, Nancy was always busy creating.  She loved her friends, her students and her church, and would spend her time helping anyone in need.

Nancy is preceded in death by her husband, William Nixon; parents, Elmer Harold Johnson, Sr and Tiny Agnes Ott Johnson, and her brother, Elmer Harold Johnson, Jr.  Nancy loved her family and enjoyed her and Bill’s three children, Mark Nixon (wife Sandra Nixon) and Leanne McNamee (husband Scott McNamee) of Silver Spring, MD; and Valerie Nixon (husband Larry Jones) of Okatie, South Carolina.  Nancy is survived by seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren – Darcy Spence (husband John and son Raiden); Amanda Trantin (husband David and daughter Scarlett); Caitlin Ganey (husband Chase and daughters Sophia and Madelyn); Eric Nixon; Charlotte McNamee; William McNamee and Marshall McNamee.

Nancy loved her upbringing with her Johnson grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins in Spartanburg, and her ashes will be returned to her family plot in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. A life-long Methodist, Nancy’s service will be held 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at Reidville Church in Moore, SC.

Nancy was a kind and gracious woman.  Here is verbatim advice she wrote to her grandchildren:

“My wish for the future is for you to have as much fun growing up as I did. And when you are grown, I hope you find happiness in the career you choose and that you will find someone to love and cherish you and have a beautiful family. There will be many challenges and I hope you will have the spiritual strength and intelligence to make very wise decisions.”