Priscilla Brown Nixon

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Priscilla Brown Nixon, 95, passed away peacefully at her home in Saint Petersburg, Florida, on April 3, 2026.

A native of Maine, Priscilla, will return home on April 29 for a celebration of life in Gardiner with family and friends. She will be laid to rest at the Maine Veterans Cemetery in Augusta beside her husband of 51 years, John L. “Jack” Nixon Jr., who preceded her in death in 2004.

Priscilla became a registered nurse after graduating from the Melrose Wakefield School of Nursing and completing her training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She married Jack in 1953 as he began his career in the United States Army, including service in the Korean War.

Military life took Priscilla and her growing family across the country and overseas. From New England to Hawaii, New Jersey, Germany, Kansas, Georgia, and beyond, she anchored the family through frequent moves and long separations. Together they raised seven children: Margaret Louise (Pegi), John L. Nixon III, Norma Jean, Michael Thomas, James Edward, Steven Peter, and David Patrick. During Jack’s year-long deployment to Vietnam, Priscilla managed the household alone – a period she later described as the most difficult of her life.

Throughout these years, she was deeply engaged in military and community life, supporting officers’ families, schools, churches, and her children’s swim teams. After Jack completed his education and later retired from the Army in 1974, the family settled in Leavenworth, Kansas. Priscilla opened Den of Antiquities, an antique shop reflecting her lifelong love of Victorian antiques; Jack soon joined her in the business. They took great pride in providing stability for their children, all of whom graduated from Leavenworth High School.

In 1985, Priscilla and Jack moved to Oklahoma City and embarked on a new chapter, while spending summers in Maine and winters in Florida. For nearly two decades they traveled the country buying and selling fine silver, becoming nationally recognized experts in early American sterling and coin silver. Priscilla often said their happiest years were spent together in their 50’s and 60’s, enjoying both family and freedom.

After Jack’s passing, Priscilla lived independently in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she loved tending her gardens. Her daughter Pegi and son in law Donald Mueller provided devoted care, with Priscilla affectionately referring to Don as her “sixth son.” In 2018, she moved to an assisted living community in Saint Petersburg, Florida, near several of her children.

Priscilla was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Vera Brown of Gardiner, and her brother Stanley Brown of Augusta. She is survived by her sister Anne Brown Thompson and Anne’s husband Warren Thompson of Davie, Florida.

She is also survived by her children and their partners: Pegi and Don Mueller of Fort Myers, Florida, John L. Nixon III of Gulfport, Florida, Norma J. Nixon of Gulfport, Florida, Mike and Terry Nixon of Kansas City, Missouri, Jim Nixon and Hector Zarate of Arlington, Virginia, Steven and Tami Nixon of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and David Nixon and Trevor Capone of Palm Springs, California.

Priscilla leaves behind grandchildren: Bryan Mueller (Tiffany), Brent Mueller (Sharon), Serenity Eaton, Lauren Secrist (Matt), Samuel Nixon (Carmen), Krissy Nixon, and Peter Nixon; great grandchildren Taylor, Madison, Cael, and Colby; and great great grandson Baker.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., at Staples Funeral Home, 53 Brunswick Ave, Gardiner. Committal services will follow at 1 p.m., at Maine Veterans’ Cemetery, 163 Mt. Vernon Road, Augusta.

Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Staples Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 53 Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Staples Funeral Home website, http://www.staplesfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Nixon Family Scholarship Fund, which awards an annual $1,000 scholarship to a graduate of Leavenworth High School. Contributions may be sent to: Brent Mueller, Commerce Bank, 2830 S. 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kansas 66048.