Reed Nixon

Northborough – Reed Brown Nixon, 38, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, October 24, 2016, after enduring 21 years of being paralyzed from the neck down and having to use a ventilator as a result of a spinal cord injury.

Reed was born on March 3, 1978, to Mark Reed Nixon and Sheryl Brown Nixon in Provo, Utah. He was the third of six children. He lived in Orem and Lindon, Utah, and College Station, Texas before settling in Northborough, Massachusetts in 1993. Reed was an excellent student and was captain of the cross-country and track teams at Algonquin Regional High School. He was a National Award winner in DECA - business marketing. He and his brother, Rob, were both paralyzed in a car accident in 1995 rendering them both quadriplegic. Reed graduated in 1996 from ARHS. He went on to graduate magna cum laude from Bentley University in 2007 with a degree in finance.

Blessed with a tremendous sense of humor, Reed possessed a remarkably positive attitude despite his very difficult circumstances. This positive attitude sustained and uplifted everyone he met, particularly those who worked closely with him.

An Eagle Scout (earned after his injury) Reed was very active and played all kinds of sports prior to his injury. Reed was a sports enthusiast attending many Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics games. He visited over 16 ballparks around the country and traveled to 26 states and Canada all after becoming paralyzed.

Reed loved music and the arts. His collections of minerals, fossils, shells, and sports memorabilia were impressive. He managed his own on-line E-bay store selling sports cards and memorabilia. Reed was a wonderful motivational speaker, and a regular guest lecturer at Bentley University. With his doctor, James Broadhurst, he taught many third-year medical students at UMASS, and became a compelling advocate for patient care. He served faithfully, to the best of his ability, in various church responsibilities and leadership positions.

Reed deeply loved his five siblings and twenty-one nieces and nephews. He is survived by three sisters, Raelene (Nixon) Norman of Pleasant Grove, Utah, Renae (Nixon) Ellis of Hillsboro, Oregon, Natalie (Nixon) Dayton of Summerfield, North Carolina; and two brothers, Robert Scott Nixon of South Jordan, Utah and Kent Mark Nixon of West Jordan, Utah. Also his grandparents S. Reed and Joyce Nixon as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Everyone is invited to spend time with the Nixon family Friday evening, November 4, 2016 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 S State, Orem, UT. Please wear brightly-colored clothing in celebration of Reed’s joyful life. There will also be a viewing with the Nixon family Saturday morning, November 5, 2016 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 475 N 700 E, Pleasant Grove, UT.  A funeral service will follow at 11:00 am. Please wear bright-colored clothing as we will be celebrating the life of our wonderful son and brother. Burial will be in the Orem City Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Reed’s memory may be sent to Perpetual Education Fund at: http://give.lds.org/pef. This fund provides educational opportunities for underprivileged individuals worldwide.

Condolences to the family may be posted on this site.