Eugene H. Nix

Eugene H. Nix (Gene) of Wellington, Colorado, passed peacefully into the arms of our Lord at the age of 83 on Sunday, January 17, 2016. He was born August 5, 1932 at Pierce, Colorado to Marshall and Minnie (Dyer) Nix. He had two brothers (both deceased) Willard of Cave Creek, AZ and Leonard of Waverly, CO; four sisters, Grace Brown (deceased) of Fort Collins, Mildred Morlock and Bernice Brewer of Hillsboro and Beaverton, Oregon and Maxine(Richard) Tamlin of Fort Collins, CO.

Gene was married to Joan (Geisick) Chandler on March 7, 1954. They were married twenty-one years. From this union were three children: R. Scott Nix of the Philippines, E. Alan Nix of Montana, and Diane L. Nix of Wellington, Colorado. He also had eight grandchildren, one of them, A. J. Copley (and family), lives in Fort Collins, CO. "Lil" Randy Copley (deceased).

Gene attended and graduated from Waverly High School (where he was quite the basketball player). He was offered a football scholarship from the University of Wyoming but he decided that he wanted to go to Colorado A & M (now CSU). His time there was cut short because he was called up for Military Service and was inducted in the army November 27, 1952. He took his basic training at Camp Gordon, Georgia and was assigned to the Special Signal Corps. Because of his special training, he was sent to a White House detachment installing communication lines for the President of the United States. While on Assignment in Washington D. C., Gene was chosen as the alternate guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After his service in Washington, D. C., Gene was transferred to the White Sands Proving Grounds near Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was in charge of setting up communications for testing missiles and rocket launchers. While at White Sands, Gene was chosen all post center for the Army basketball team. When he found out that three day passes were the result of neatness, he was named the base's Best Dressed Soldier three times. He was discharged at El Paso, Texas on November 26, 1954.

Upon his discharge, he was employed at the Poudre Valley REA in Fort Collins where he worked as a licensed lineman. In this position, he had the misfortune of losing an arm and damaging his thighs and legs after sustained three jolts of 7,200 volts from a power line in an on-the-job accident and was declared 100% disabled. After his accident, a horse was bought for him to give him some solace. This is where his love started for all aspects of the breeding, raising, training, and racing horses.

For a span over fifty years, Gene devoted much time, effort and thought to breeding, raising and training race horses. He diligently studied breeding and how two horses would cross to produce truly great race horses. In the hospital bed, just days before his passing, Gene was looking for just the right horse to breed to Nixie's Edition, a mare he raised, who happened to be the fastest Appaloosa west of the Mississippi for many years.
Genes love for horses and racing brought him much joy and reward. His apartment was full of evidence of his horses' many wins (pictures, newspaper clippings, trophies, etc.)
The bloodlines that Gene started will continue indefinitely and represent one of Gene's greatest legacies.

Because of Gene's mother's great faith and her influence on her son, he made the decision to become a Mason. He became a Master Mason at the Fidelity Lodge #192 in Fort Collins, Colorado, in May of 1985.

A celebration of life will be held at the Masonic Lodge, 225 West Oak Street, Fort Collins, Colorado on Friday January 29, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.