In Memory of Jack Nixon

REMEMBERING JACK

Ezra John “Jack” Nixon, Jr.

Ezra John “Jack” Nixon, Jr. passed peacefully from this life at his home in Hyde Park on August 2, 2026, at the age of 95.

For nearly a century, Jack’s presence filled rooms, strengthened families, built communities, and made ordinary days feel a little more hopeful. His passing was unexpected, and those who knew him already feel the world is a little quieter without him.

Those closest to Jack sometimes believed he might simply live forever. His energy seemed endless, his curiosity about people never faded, and he was always ready for another conversation, project, or friendship. Jack did not simply enter a room—he brought life into it. He remembered people, listened to their stories, and made them feel that what mattered to them mattered to him.

Jack was also well known for handing out crisp, new two-dollar bills. But the gift always came with a lesson. He would explain that the bill was uncirculated and should be saved, because if you saved your money instead of spending it, you would have much more in the future. It was classic Jack—a simple gift, a little wisdom, and usually a smile.

Born March 29, 1931, in Del Norte, Colorado, Jack built his life around faith, hard work, curiosity, and an extraordinary love for people. He served in the Spanish-American mission and earned degrees from Brigham Young University and Utah State University. Coming from a long line of entrepreneurs, Jack was never comfortable simply working for someone else. While newly married and serving as a Head Resident at BYU, he even sold used cars from the dormitory parking lot, using President Wilkinson’s secretary to take messages for him.

Jack believed in showing up, keeping your word, extending your hand, and believing in someone—even before they believed in themselves. He understood that the greatest legacy is not a list of accomplishments, but the people whose lives are better because you passed through them. Jack raised 5 children, was blessed with 16 grandchildren, and 51 great-grandchildren.

Jack loved his career because he loved the people it brought into his life. In the 1950s, he co-owned a farm machinery business with his father in Roosevelt. In 1959, they purchased the Zanavoo Lodge and Restaurant. Through Nixon & Nixon, Inc. and CENTURY 21 N&N REALTORS®, Jack went on to spend more than 60 years in real estate, construction, appraisal, and land development. He helped create 22 subdivisions across Cache and Weber Counties, but Jack never saw land as simply acreage or houses as merely structures. He saw homes where families would gather, children would grow, and lives would unfold. He cared deeply for his employees and took an active interest in their lives.

His leadership reached throughout northern Utah. Jack served as president of the Logan Board of Realtors, the Logan Lions Club, and the Northern Utah Home Builders Association, while also serving professional organizations, civic committees, advisory boards, and Utah State University. Yet Jack’s greatest honors were not found on plaques. They were found in people—the young person he encouraged, the struggling individual he helped, the employee he believed in, and the lifelong friend who always knew Jack would be there. Jack leaves behind a family who loved him, a community that respected him, and generations of people whose lives are better because they knew him.

Jack spent 95 years making the world around him a little better. His legacy will live on in the family he loved, the people he served, the communities he helped build, and the countless lives he touched. Show up. Keep your word. Believe in people. Love your family. Serve others. And, whenever possible, give someone a two-dollar bill.