Charles Drury Nixon of McKinney, Texas passed away September 18, 2018 at the age of 86. He was born on March 18, 1932 to Charlie Levi Nixon and Opal Earnestine (Drury) Nixon in McKinney, Texas. Charles married Etta Louise Kissinger on January 23, 1953 in Chambersville, Texas.
He was a graduate of McKinney Boyd High School in McKinney and attended Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Charles served in the Army during the Korean War. He was a gifted machinist and mentor with Texas Instruments from which he retired after 27 years as a supervisor.
In 1964, Charles opened his first coin-operated laundry and car wash, eventually building Nixon’s Coin-Op Laundry on Hwy 380 and College Street and Snow White Laundry on Tennessee Street in McKinney. Until his later years, he operated a local machine shop that provided custom machine services to most of McKinney’s industrial establishments.
Charles loved to hunt and snow ski, but his favorite pastime was spending weekends on Lake Texoma with his family. He always had the best toys and fastest boats. Charles spent much of his time pulling kids on skis and hoisting kids and adults aloft over the islands with his parasail.
He is survived by daughter, Teresa Roeder and husband, Bob of McKinney, Texas; son, Rodney Nixon and wife, Cindy of Chambersville, Texas; grandchildren, Loren Roeder, Rebecca Roeder, Chad Nixon and wife, Lorren; Kasey Carroll and Natalie Carroll; and great-grandchildren, Dylan , Rhyce, Pyper, Cru and Jayden Ray.
Charles was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 59 years, Etta Louise Nixon; daughter, Leasa Nixon Carroll; parents, Charlie and Opal Nixon; sister, Ouida Nixon.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 22, 2018 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas. Interment will follow in Ridgeview Memorial Park. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Friday evening from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the funeral home.