James Thomas Nixon, Sr.

Jim passed away peacefully in Kansas City on February 1, 2017. He was 92. A lifelong son of Kansas City, Jim was born October 17, 1924, to James D. and Anna M. (Sprofera) Nixon. He attended St. Elizabeth's and Maur Hill Academy before enrolling at the University of Notre Dame in 1941. In 1943, he enlisted in the Army, rose to the rank of sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Forces 44th Bomb Group, and was discharged in 1946.
Returning home, Jim assisted his parents with the operation of his grandmothers renowned music venue, Marys Club, at 80th and Wornall Road before striking off on his own to open the Zombie Club on 103rd Street, a vibrant spot popular with young KC denizens at the time. With a growing family to support, Jim turned to sales in the mid-1950s and it was here that he found his true calling. First joining Playtex, he became its top salesman within a few years. Translating this success into the wider world of women's apparel, Jim founded Jim Nixon & Associates which employed a number of salesmen covering seven states in the Midwest and representing the clothing lines of nearly two dozen women's apparel companies. As the apparel market changed in the 1980s, Jim shifted his entrepreneurial spirit and dedicated more time to real estate, developing commercial spaces throughout the city, including the very land he grew up on along Wornall Road.

A lover of Southern California, Jim traveled to Huntington Beach every summer where he loved to sit on the south side of the pier to watch the water sparkle in the setting sun.

Jim was predeceased by his son, Mark, in 2012. He is survived by his children: James T. Nixon II (Dianne) of Shawnee Mission, KS, John F. Nixon (Nancy) of Ouray, CO, Ann M. Nixon of Prairie Village, KS, David C. Nixon (Beth) of Greenwich, CT, Michael P. Nixon of New York, NY; Marks widow, Marilyn Nixon of Kansas City, MO; four grandchildren: Carrie Hickman (Paul) of Orfordville, WI, Christopher Nixon (Amy) of Overland Park, KS, Isabel and Mia Nixon of Greenwich, CT; and 5 great-grandchildren.



SERVICES Visitation
Tuesday, February 7, 2017 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish 3934 Washington Street Kansas City, MO 64111
Mass of Christian Burial
Tuesday, February 7, 2017 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish 3934 Washington Street Kansas City, MO 64111