Malinda Byrd Nix Johnson, 76, passed away peacefully on June 26, 2025. Malinda was born to William Wesley and Juanita Byrd on January 3, 1949, joining her older brother, Gordon. Her younger sisters, Martha and Ginger, would later complete the boisterous, larger-than-life Byrd family. If you grew up in Phenix City, you’ve heard of the Byrds—their antics, their athleticism, and, above all, their laughter. Cousins and friends ran freely between homes on Summerville Road, long before JR Allen Parkway or even the local Piggly Wiggly were imagined. She formed lifelong friendships at Sherwood Elementary, Central Junior High, and Central High School.
After graduation, she married her high school sweetheart, Rusty Nix, and moved to Jacksonville, Florida, when Rusty joined the Navy. In search of a job within walking distance, Malinda stumbled into a dental office that happened to need an assistant, and that unexpected decision changed the course of her life.
After she and Rusty settled back in Phenix City, they welcomed their son, Cody—the light of her life and the one who never failed to make her laugh. Malinda took a job as a dental assistant in Dr. Benson’s office, where she continued to learn more about the field. As she considered what might come next, she was encouraged by Dr. Benson to pursue dental school. She began at CVCC, graduating in 1979, and was later inducted into the CVCC Hall of Fame, an honor she cherished, rooted in her love for her hometown. She went on to earn her Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1985.
Malinda’s belief in the importance of family pulled her back to Phenix City, and she established her dental practice where her sister Martha joined her as a hygienist, and her sister Ginger became the office manager. The family atmosphere was evident in how she treated her patients. We take pride in saying that if Malinda placed a crown or a filling, the next dentist who looked at it would inevitably admire her handiwork. She was a perfectionist when it came to dentistry. Perhaps that’s why she was always running late—although, more than likely, it was because she had one more joke to tell. One more story to make her patients laugh. One more hug to give before they walked out the door.
Malinda, a busy single mother with a growing dental practice, did not expect to meet the love of her life when she met Judge Wayne Johnson. Wayne, calm and steadfast, was the perfect match for Malinda’s spontaneity and lively spirit. They married in 1988, and Tom and Jennifer were fortunate to join in on the fun. Their marriage was lighthearted and full of wit, but it was also grounded in deep love and their shared values of family, community, and service, which defined their life together until Wayne’s passing in 2003.
While Malinda carried the weight of grief, her love remained a constant and radiant force in all she did. Malinda’s gift was that she loved people, and she had an uncanny ability to form deep, genuine connections with anyone she encountered. And she didn’t love people despite their imperfections; she loved people because of their flaws. That, she believed, is where the best stories begin.
These lessons—to love others fiercely, flaws and all, and to find the stories and humor in life—have shaped the lives of her children and grandchildren in lasting ways. You can see her reflection in how her grandchildren love just as mightily as Malinda taught them. Their memories of sleepovers, beach trips, dance parties in the living room, zipping down the steepest hill in Phenix City while hanging out of the sunroof (much to their parents’ chagrin), and late-night trips to Golden Donuts have bound them together in extraordinary ways. Malinda’s spirit lives on through them.
Malinda was preceded in death by her parents, Willie Bo and Juanita; her adored older brother, Gordy; dear nephew Jared Wells; her former husband and lifelong friend, Rusty Nix; and her beloved husband, Wayne. Carrying on her legacy are her children: Cody Nix (Jill), Tom Johnson (Lauren), and Jennifer Gray (Stan); and her grandchildren: Lucy Kelly (Jackson), Jesse Nix, Jane Gray (Aidan Acton), Sophie Nix, Grace Johnson, and Will Johnson. She is also remembered with love by her sisters, Martha Wells and Ginger Farrar (Kevin); her sister-in-law, Carol Byrd; numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, her tennis teammates, her PhD friends, and her former patients—all of whom she considered family.
The family would like to thank Spring Harbor and Columbus Hospice, whose kindness brought comfort at the end of Malinda’s life, and especially her caregiver, Jackie Easley, who quickly became part of the family.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, July 2, at 2:00 p.m. at Striffler-Hamby in Phenix City. Visitation with the family will begin at 12:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or to a charity of your choice. Or, in honor of Malinda, tell someone you love a good joke.
“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” Charles Dickens
