Bill Nix was born on November 5, 1952, in Troy, Alabama. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Wabasso, Florida. On June 21, 1971, he married his wife, Deanna, in Vero Beach, Florida. A few years later, they were blessed with their son, Jeremy.

In 1977, Bill moved his young family to Thomasville, Missouri. They acquired land on the Middle Fork River and built a home.

Bill became an EMT and worked for the Oregon County Ambulance for a few years. Following that, he worked for seven years as EMT Medical Director for West Plains Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center. Eventually, Bill changed course and went to truck driving school for a year. He worked for several different trucking companies before settling in with CFI out of Joplin, Missouri. He drove a semi-truck for over 28 years, logging over three million miles incident free. His CB handle was Wild Turkey, reflecting his love of turkey hunting.

Bill retired from trucking in 2019. He soon joined the Thomasville Volunteer Fire Department, where he served alongside his son, Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Nix. The department had recently acquired a large military tanker, and Bill had the experience necessary to drive it. He also served the department by doing much-needed maintenance on the firetrucks and the fire station. In 2022, he was selected as Firefighter of the Year for the department.

While responding to a fire call on the evening of January 16, 2025, Bill was a passenger in a pumper truck that was involved in a single vehicle rollover accident. Despite the heroic efforts of his son and other first responders, Bill succumbed to his injuries and died on scene.

Bill is survived by his wife of 53 years, Deanna; his son, Jeremy; daughter-in-law, Mary; his grandson, Ethan; and six siblings. He was of the Christian faith.

Bill was an all-around outdoorsman. He loved fishing, hunting, camping, riding side-by-sides, canoeing, and scuba diving. His greatest joy in life came from spending time with
family, especially his son and grandson. Bill is deeply missed by his family and community.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13