Obituary of Nigel Duncan Rixson

Nigel Duncan Rixson was born on June 3, 1961, in Barnehurst, England to Alan and Betty Rixson. Nigel attended grammar school in Marlow and his first university degree was earned at Sheffield University. Nigel married and fathered three children: Laura, Bethany, and Nathan. The family lived in Bishop’s Stortford and the children were raised there.

After a couple of inconsequential jobs in the UK, Nigel was offered a job as a bid manager for Siemens in Munich, Germany, and his family accompanied him there. During his time at Siemens, he traveled extensively, visiting over 13 world capitals. One of his favorite cities was Florence, Italy. After leaving Siemens, Nigel moved back to the UK and began working for GE. During this time, Nigel and his first wife divorced, and he continued raising his children as a single father. When the GE job ended, he made the decision to go back to university to study social work.

Nigel moved to Carlisle in northern England and began attending Cumbria University. During that time, he met his current wife and, after a few years, emigrated to Omaha, NE. Once in the US, he began working for Nebraska Children’s Home Society as a family reconciliation counselor.

Shortly after moving to Omaha, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and started dialysis treatments. He received a kidney transplant shortly after, but it rejected several months after transplant which required him to resume dialysis treatments. During this time, he also developed heart disease which contributed to complications from a recent vascular surgery. With the myriads of medical problems and no longer being eligible for a kidney transplant, Nigel made the difficult decision to forego ongoing medical care and entered hospice care.

Before the onset of so many health issues, Nigel lived a full life. He enjoyed playing chess, visiting the regional wineries, and traveling when he was able. Nigel had many travel adventures and most involved either lost luggage or boarding the wrong flight, among other misadventures. While living in Germany, he especially loved hiking in the Alps. He also enjoyed talking about history, especially political history, as well as spending time with family and friends. Nigel especially loved soccer and following the progress of his favorite team, Sheffield Wednesday. While in Omaha, he developed an affinity for Creighton University’s soccer team, the Bluejays, and was a loyal fan who attended as many home games as he could.

He is survived by his wife (Jennifer Rasmussen), children (Laura, Bethany, and Nathan Rixson), grandchildren (Dylan, Jenna, Gabriel, Heidi, Amelie, and a grandson who has not been born yet), siblings (Sue Henty, Tracy Menzel, and Scott Rixson), and a countless number of family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents (Alan and Betty Rixson).

Nigel will always be remembered for his dry wit, his love of soccer, his eccentric storytelling skills, and the love he had for his family and friends. He will never be forgotten.