Theodore Nixon, 63, showed his fixer-up talents at home, too
Mr. Nixon served seven years in the Navy. After he returned home, he met his future wife at Mother Bethel AME Church, where both were members, and the couple married in May 1988.
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- Theodore Nixon
- 63 years old
- Lived in Sicklerville
- Repaired and inspected SEPTA buses and trolleys
A Mr. Fixit at both home and work, Theodore Nixon also loved comic books and Star Trek’s Captain Kirk.
Mr. Nixon spent 31 years fixing and inspecting buses and trolleys for SEPTA. But that was just a fraction of the talents he displayed in repairing and installing things around his house.
“He was definitely a fixer,” said Brenda Smith Nixon, his wife. “A lot of it came natural. He always had a love for fixing things. So that’s basically where that came from. He could just read [instructions] and know he could do it. If he actually saw it, he could do it – plumbing, any kind of mechanical things.”
Mr. Nixon’s son, Eric, said his father installed a dimmer switch for the lights in the basement so he could watch his movies on one side of the room. He also built model spaceships.
“He was a Trekkie,” his son quipped.
Mr. Nixon, 63, of Sicklerville, died Tuesday, March 31, of complications from the coronavirus, his wife said.
Mr. Nixon’s hobbies did not stop at fixing and building. He was a reader, too.
“He was a comic book saver from way back as a child,” his wife said. “He has all of his comic books in sleeves. He was an avid comic book reader as a child, and he saved every book he’s ever had.”
Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Nixon graduated from Bok Technical High School. He attended Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, and was a member of the school’s ROTC program.
Mr. Nixon served seven years in the Navy. After he returned home, he met his future wife at Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, where both were members, and the couple married in May 1988.
Mr. Nixon had worked at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard until he left in December 1987. The next month, he took the test to become what his wife said was a “grand rail mechanic” with SEPTA, and worked there until shortly before his death.
In addition to his wife and his son, Mr. Nixon is survived by a daughter, Morgan. Brenda Nixon said a graveside service was scheduled for Friday, April 17, at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd.
— Joe Juliano