Tom Nixon

Funeral services for Thomas L. Nixon, age 86, will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday, November 14th at Hooper-Huddleston and Horner Funeral Home. Rev. Mike Head, Rev. Charlie Hutchinson, and Rev. Bill Parkerson will officiate. A short graveside service will be held at 3:00 pm in the Gordonsville Cemetery in Smith County. The family will receive friends from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Thursday, November 13th at the funeral home. Tom, as he was known by many, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 11th at home after a long illness. He was born on October 7, 1928 to the late Landa and Nannie Broyles Nixon. He went to school in Smith County, Tennessee and Alpine, Texas. After graduation, he worked for Massman Metcalfe Hamilton, contractors for Center Hill Dam as a cost accountant. Later he served as a corporal in the United States Army during the Korean War and received the Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal. For 35 years, he and his brother, Beverly(Pappy), co-owned Nixon Brothers' Service Station, Dairy Mart, and a U-Haul dealership. After retiring, he worked for the Putnam County Election Commission for several years during early voting. He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Cookeville having been saved as a little boy at Lancaster Baptist Church. He was a past Jaycee member and Little League President. His hobbies included gardening and woodworking, and he was an avid reader of western and civil war novels. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and was fondly known as "Pa Tom" to his family and friends. His family includes his wife of 64 years, Dorothy (Dot) Parkerson Nixon of Cookeville; two sons and daughters-in-law, Wayne and wife Marsha of Houston, Texas and David and wife Gloria of Cookeville; five grandchildren, Rachel Beth Nixon of Cookeville, Amanda Nixon and Andrew Nixon of Charlottesville, Virginia, Molly Nixon of Seattle, Washington, and Katie Nixon of Houston, Texas; one step-grandson Jasper Swallows of Monterey; two step-granddaughters Ashley (and husband Chris) Looper of Cookeville and Cherry Dolinich of Clarkrange; four step great-grandchildren (Delanie, Kolton, Cambree Dolinich and Malia Looper); one nephew and wife, Larry and Frances Nixon of Cookeville. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother and wife, Beverly(Pappy) and Gertrue Nixon; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Lerion and Marvin Parker and Christine and Cordell Moore; a favorite niece, Marilyn Meyers. Wayne Nixon, David Nixon, Larry Nixon, Andrew Nixon, Joe Cameron, Frank Tittle, Chris Looper and Jasper Swallows will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Homer Hackett, Bill Bilbrey, Jerry Parkerson, Bill Parkerson and Carlos Dobbs, Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Cookeville Building Fund, 18 South Walnut Ave, Cookeville, TN 38501.