Nixon, David Andrew (December 10, 1936—June 11, 2018)
David Nixon from Chicago followed his brother Harvey (‘53) to Grinnell to join our class. He did so after a semester at his home-town Roosevelt University, thus enabling him to obtain his Grinnell B.A. degree in psychology in January 1961. He made the Dean’s List in June 1960.
He was a resident of Rawson Hall. As one of his hallmates recalls, “Dave studied hard when he studied; played hard when he played; laughed hard when he laughed; spoke hard when he spoke; and carried himself with great assurance. He stated his opinions strongly lest we doubted what he was asserting. He was strongly built and looked tough. We were glad he was in our hall for competitions, be they water fights or something more organized.” Another hallmate recalled that Dave had a phobia about flies landing on his food.
David participated in Grinnell’s football and wrestling teams. In later life he became a master body builder and then a columnist and editor of Muscle Training Illustrated, Ironman and other similar periodicals.
After college David attended Northwestern University School of Law, 1961-64, where he earned his J.D. degree. He then became an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in Peoria, Illinois, where in 1967 he earned a Sustained Superior Performance award and then moved to its Kansas City office. Later he became a Supervising Attorney at that office before retiring in 2002.
Shortly after moving to Kansas City David had a blind date and fell in love with Gloria Bea Goldberg, and they were married in April 1968. They had two daughters, Faith M. Nixon and Leah A. Nixon, all of whom survived him.
He was in good health until A-fib and colon cancer claimed him on June 11, 2018.
For our class’ 50th reunion in 2011 David wrote the following beautiful poem, which now precedes the obituaries in the In Memoriam pages of our class website and which now honors him as well:
In Memoriam:
Celebration of the Lives of Our Departed 1961 Classmates
As we gather together to renew our friendships in this reunion,
we remember our departed classmates.
They remain with us, always dear in our thoughts, most vividly now. Time has not dimmed the light of their faces in our memory.
We remember each now, each a bright, vibrant, treasured friend; each with
a reserved fond place in our hearts today, in remembrance of yesterday. . . .
Duane W. Krohnke
