Mr. Nixon’s grandfather started the John P. Nixon Insurance Agency in 1910
John P. Nixon, a long-time Massachusetts independent insurance agent has passed away in Brewster, MA on January 18, 2021. He was 84. Along with his father and brother, Mr. Nixon, owned and operated the John P. Nixon Insurance Agency in Newtonville. Mr. Nixon’s grandfather first started the agency in 1910 in Boston. The Nixon Agency is still owned and operated by the third-generation of the Nixon family.
The following is a reprint of Mr. Nixon’s obituary, which appeared both in The Boston Globe and the Cape Cod Times.
BREWSTER – John P. “Jack” Nixon, Jr., age 84, passed away at his home in Brewster on January 18th, 2021 peacefully surrounded by his family after a short illness.
Born November 20, 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts to John P. and Ethel S. Nixon. Jack spent his entire childhood in Newton before heading off to college. He started at MIT and then finishing up at Babson Institute with a BS in Business Administration in 1958 right around the time he met the love of his life – Jane Martin Petersen – on a blind date and married in 1959.
After serving in the US Marine Corp as a 1st Lieutenant from 1959 to 1963 he returned to New England to start working with his family’s insurance agency – started by his grandfather in 1910 in Boston. With an acquisition the agency moved to Newtonville in 1970 to bring him back to in the city he grew up. Jack was very proud of the work he did for his clients at the agency (John P Nixon Insurance Agency) – ultimately earning his Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation and became a Licensed Insurance Advisor. He was elected and proudly served on the Board of Directors at the Providence Mutual Fire Ins Co in 1977 and continued until 2011. He continued to work with his father (John) and brother (David) at the agency until John’s death in 1990 and Jack’s retirement in 2000.
He and Jane moved to Sudbury, Massachusetts in 1964 where they raised 3 children and became very active in the community. Jack served as Little League and Girl’s Softball coach as well as involved with the Republican Town Committee, Election Counter and the Conservation Commission. Jack was also very active at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church – serving in many aspects as a vestry member (including warden), finance committee, lay reader, eucharistic minister, usher and building & grounds committee (with emphasis on the beloved Cram’s Chapel and institution of the Memorial Church Yard there).
When he and Jane retired full time to Brewster, Massachusetts in 2000 (they had vacationed and shared a home there since 1977) Jack became involved with the Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans. This included the finance committee, eucharistic minister & lector (including scheduling), usher, building & grounds and vestry member. Jack also became involved with the Brewster Zoning Board of Appeals, trail maintenance crew member at the Museum of Natural History and worked with the Brewster Conservation Trust.
In addition to travel (they vacationed many years in the winter to St Barthelemy – later to Anguila) Jack’s hobbies included sailing, jogging, spending time with his children and grandchildren, reading and collecting books (Winston Churchill, Stephen King, Civil War), old cars (enjoying a variety of them over time – most of his time was spent working on his Triumph sports car and many activities with the Vintage Triumph Register where they met many new friends) and music (largely jazz but expanded into rock and bluegrass as he grew older).
Jack leaves his wife of 61 years Jane (Petersen) Nixon; his children Vicky Nixon of Brewster and Vernon Nixon and his wife (Lynn) of Boxborough, Massachusetts; his grandchildren Brad, Spencer and Julia Nixon; and his brother David and his wife Linda of Chatham, Massachusetts as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his daughter Ginny Nixon.
Burial services will be private at a later date and a Celebration of Life at a later date as well.
Any memorial donations can be made to the Dana Farber Institute, American Heart Association, or to St Elizabeth’s Church for maintenance and upkeep of the Cram Chapel and Memorial Churchyard.
