Thomas M. Nixon

Age 87 of Shadyside, formerly of Clairton on Monday July 26, 2021. Beloved husband of Miryam Herrera Nixon. Brother of Mark M. Nikolich (Josephine), Ronald G. Nikolich (Lenka) and the late James E. Nikolich (Delores) and Donald J. Nikolich. Nephews and nieces including Elmer J. Nikolich (Pat), Robert Nikolich (Jeanne), Janet, Gary Nikolich, Diane Remcheck (Mark), Laura Knauss (James), Lisa Murphy (Howard), Ursula Plotnikov (Vladik), Erika Moore, Natasha Achterberg, and Alexandra Washo. Tom was an outstanding honor and activities student through Clairton Junior and Senior High School. He won the Lions Club award for being the outstanding male student at graduation and he won a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh. Tom majored in Finance and Economics and in his junior year, he led the Veterans Independent Party to a landslide victory. He served as vice president of student congress and manager of the basketball team and the varsity marching band. Dean Biddle got Tom a loan to complete his first year of law school. The family home and business required him to drop out of law school and work to pay off $200,000 of debt in seven years. He became the dominant Goodyear Tire dealer in the area over the next several years as “Tom’s Tire Company”. He served as vice president of the Clairton Chamber of Commerce, president of the Clairton-Glassport Rotary Club and board member of the Clairton Municipal Authority. He was president of the Clairton Young Republicans and board member of the Allegheny County Young Republicans. In 1974, he finished fourth in a field of twelve for the Allegheny County Republican Jury Commissioner. Tom received certification to teach and had fourteen credit short of two master’s degrees from the University of California. He substitute taught for three years in five school districts. In February 1977, he became a stockbroker for Elkins & Company. Four years later, he won acclaim for the highest production month in the firm’s history. In 1982, Tom joined Boenning & Scattergood as their special products manager. In 1985, he grew to 32 brokers in 12 states. In 1990, he sold that company and focused on oil and natural gas partnerships. By 2011, he sold approximately $111 million successful programs in Western Pennsylvania and the Gulf of Mexico. Over 37 years he served in the Rotary Club, his committee raised $350,000 to eradicate Polio in the world in 2005. In 2008, Tom honored ten in-laws by making them Paul Harris Fellows. They provided inoculations for 33,000 children as Tom was a Polio victim in June 1939. Friends will be received at John A. Freyvogel Sons, Inc. (freyvogelfuneralhome.com) 4900 Centre Avenue at Devonshire Street on Wednesday from 12 noon until a funeral service at 3:30p.m. in the funeral home. Remembrances may be made to the Pittsburgh Rotary Club, 555 Grant Street, Suite 328, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

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