Dr. Nix was born on April 20, 1934 in North Vernon, Indiana, the son of Lawrence A. Nix and Hazel White Nix. He grew up on his family's farm near Temple, GA, where his father and mother were school teachers and his father was a minister. He graduated from Buchanan High School in Buchanan, GA in 1950. He began college at West Georgia College in Carrollton. He then moved to Athens and began his lifelong association with The University of Georgia, where he earned a B.S. degree in 1954, an M.A. Ed. in 1955, an Ed. S. in 1963, and an Ed. D. in 1968. It was at the university that he met his wife, the late Harriett Ann Hoard Nix, while they were both students in the Art Department. They married in Atlanta, Georgia on June 21, 1956, and were married for more than 59 years until her death in October of 2015. Dr. and Mrs. Nix had two children.
Dr. Nix's passions were many. He was a multi-talented artist, excelling in photography, painting, sculpture, jewelry, and wood working. He also curated exhibits of other artists' work, helped with the preparation of numerous books, and served the artistic community on a local, regional, and national level. He was passionate about teaching. He taught art in the Clarke County School District from 1956-1968, eventually becoming the Art Supervisor for the district. He then joined the faculty of the Art Department at The University of Georgia, where he taught from 1968-2001. He was chairman of the Art Education area from 1974-1996, and taught classes in both Art Education and Photography. He was the 1979 Beaver Award winner for Excellence in Teaching, the General Sandy Beaver Teaching Professor from 1982-1984, and The Josiah Meigs Award Winner for Excellence in Teaching in 1989. He was and is revered as a long-term mentor of former students and fellow artists. He was also deeply involved with the First Christian Church of Athens, where he served as an elder, taught a Sunday School class for decades, and served on the church board.
Dr. Nix is survived by his two sons, David Thomas Nix of Athens and John Paul Nix of San Antonio, Texas; John's wife, Catherine; an 'adopted daughter' from Kenya, Zarina Maude Wafula; a grandson, Adam Robert Nix; a brother, Eugene Nix; a sister, Joan Sheppard; four sisters-in-law, Helen Pulaski, Kathy Hoard, Ruth Nix, and Anne Nix; and numerous nieces and nephews. Dr. Nix's sons would like to extend a special thanks to the many members of First Christian Church and to Joyce Mullabu and Millicent Khasiani for their love, friendship, and faithful support of their father and mother.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 27 at the First Christian Church of Athens, 268 W. Dougherty Street, with visitation at 1 pm, service at 2 pm, and interment soon afterwards at Oconee Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to two awards benefiting Art Education students at The Lamar Dodd School of Art at The University of Georgia: The W. Robert Nix Art Education Award or The W. Robert Nix Award of Excellence in Art Education.
Bernstein Funeral Home of Athens is handling the arrangements.
