Eleanor Robinson Nixon

Calais - Eleanor Robinson Nixon passed away quietly on Sunday, July 14, 2013 surrounded by her family at her home at 22 High Street in Calais, Maine. She was 90 years young. She left this world just as graciously as she had lived in it. She was born on 21 December 1922. Her adoring parents, Wilmot S. Robinson and Gertrude E. Robinson lived in the same family home on High Street. She graduated from Calais Academy in 1940 and then put herself through Business College. She married her sweetheart Philip W. Nixon in 1946 and raised their family. She worked for the Eastern Pulp Wood Company in Calais, later to become Georgia Pacific for almost 30 years. She became the Administrative Assistant to four General Managers of the Woodland Operations before retiring in 1985. She left the company for 3 years during the 60’s to spend more time with her kids and worked part-time for the State of Maine Unemployment Commission during that time period. She was a career woman before that was commonplace. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Calais and an active member of its Woman’s Association for nearly 70 years. She served as a Trustee and Treasurer of her Church for many years. And when her Church burned down in 1991, she helped lead the committee responsible for constructing a new Church building. But as she always said: The Church is about its people, not its brick and mortar. She was a caring and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, cousin, daughter-in-law, and friend. Her heart was irrevocably broken when she lost her husband in 1992 and her oldest son Jeff to an accident in 1998, but she forged on in life because she was a rock.

Elly is survived by her devoted daughter Anne Nixon of Calais, her son Randy Nixon and his wife Janet of Old Lyme, Connecticut, her daughter-in-law Susan Nixon of Westbrook, Maine, her granddaughter April Gardiner and her husband Zack of Newport, Maine, her grandson Bryan Ingram and his wife Holly of Deep River, Connecticut, her granddaughter Crystal Wallace and her husband Mitch of Windsor, Connecticut, her grandson Dylan Nixon of Westbrook, Maine, and five great grandchildren, all of whom she adored.

Her family wishes to sincerely thank the RN’s, the CNA’s, and other health professionals, especially Sally Johnson, NP and Dr. Chris Hayward at the Calais Regional Hospital and the Hospice Volunteers of Calais for their compassion and care during her illness. Special thanks to Angie and June and to all her many friends for their help and kindness through the past several months. She will be sadly and respectfully missed. She was a real classy lady.

A celebration of Eleanor’s life will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, July 27, 2013 at the First Congregational Church of Calais, 21 Calais Ave., Calais, ME 04619. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Elly’s name to the First Congregational Church of Calais.