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Ruth Lynn Nixon, 53, of Rt. 1 Mount Clare, Stout’s Run Road, passed away at her residence on Saturday October 16, 2010 following an extended illness. She was born February 22, 1957 in New Brunswick, NJ and also grew up in Edison NJ, a daughter of Evelyn L. Keseleski of North Brunswick, NJ and the late Adam John Keseleski.
She is survived by her husband of 29 years, Thomas Lloyd Nixon whom she married on June 28, 1981.
She is also survived by two sons, Thomas “Zach” Nixon of Morgantown and Jacob Lloyd Nixon also of Morgantown; one daughter, Lorraine Rea Nixon of Salem; two sisters, Robin Pagano and her husband Joseph, and Joyce Fircha and her husband Joseph all of Milltown, NJ; father-in-law, Ralph D. Nixon of Mount Clare; sister-in-law Emily Mustachio and her husband Nicholas of Wheeling; brother-in-law David Nixon and his wife Elizabeth of Columbus, OH; four nieces, Natell Mustachio, Joyce Pagano, Janel Fircha and Julie Fircha; two nephews, Michael Mustachio and Joseph Pagano; her aunt, Emma S. Enoch of North Brunswick, NJ; two uncles, Russell W. Enoch of Foundation Valley, CA and William Enoch of Edison, NJ.
In addition to her father she was preceded in death by her mother-in-law, Betty Nixon and one brother, Mark A. Keseleski.
Ruth was a dedicated teacher who cared deeply for her students. The kids loved to go into her room because it was always filled with unusual animals – from a tarantula to giant roaches, you never knew what Ruth would have in her class to share with the students. Unknown to many, she would see that students having difficulty at home or in another area of their lives were given what they needed to succeed. Many students were blessed by the encouragement and caring she gave when she “took them under her wing”.
Ruth moved to West Virginia from Edison, NJ in 1975 and attended Alderson Broaddus College, where she received her BA in 1980 and her Master’s Degree of Education from West Virginia University in 1985. Ruth was an educator for over 20 years and worked in Harrison County for 16 years, with the last 12 years at Norwood Elementary School. She was Norwood’s choir director and directed school performances every year. She led a very active Chess Club, along with a Marble Team that traveled yearly to a tournament in Wildwood, NJ. She taught in the Terrific Tuesday program which provided extra support for Norwood’s students. For many years, Ruth was the intermediate team leader for Norwood teachers. She worked with the WV Challenge program that gave gifted and talented students the opportunity to learn skills and gave them a chance to compete with others in the county and state. For many years, Ruth was a member of the Harrison County Schools Math Leadership team through which she worked to improve math education for the students. She was active in Math and Science textbook adoption committees, and was the Harrison County Science contact person through which she helped to organize and run the school and county Science fairs. Every summer, Ruth organized and directed SummerQuest, a program that provided interesting and challenging educational opportunities for students throughout Harrison County. While this program took endless hours to prepare, budget, organize, and oversee, Ruth did it for the hundreds of children whose education was enriched by the experiences SummerQuest provided.
Ruth was a member of the Quiet Dell United Methodist Church; Boy Scouts of America and assistant Scout Master of Troop 16; Equestrian Riding Club of Barbour County; Order of the Eastern Star; Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary 3117; Military Order of Cooties VFW Auxiliary #59; and WVEA.
Memorial contributions to aid in the fight against breast cancer can be made to the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506.
Family and friends will be received at Burnside Funeral Home, 607 S. Virginia Avenue, Bridgeport on Monday October 18, 2010 from 2:00 – 4:00 and 6:00 – 8:00 pm, where funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday at 11:00 am with Reverend Mary Ellen Finegan presiding. Interment will follow in the Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery, Mount Clare.
Burnside Funeral Home, Bridgeport