[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 121 (Thursday, September 30, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRESSIONAL BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO PHARMACIST CHARLES NIXON ON OCCASION 
                          OF HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2004

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
contributions of a quiet, family man who served the community of my 
home island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands for over 30 years and who 
will celebrate his 70th birthday on October 2nd. Mr. Speaker, Charles 
Elvis Nixon came to St. Croix with his family in 1970 and has 
contributed to its health and well being as a pharmacist, small 
businessman and good friend and neighbor.
  Mr. Speaker, from 1970 through 1985, Charles Nixon owned and managed 
a small chain of drugstores, namely the Center Pharmacy, Island 
Pharmacy and Corner Drugs, which were the main centers that met 
pharmaceutical as well as other needs for the people of St. Croix. His 
Corner Drug Store was right down the hall from my family practice. More 
than just professional neighbors, we became friends and he was a 
sounding board for my early political ideas. We raised our children 
together.
  During that time, Mr. Nixon also co-owned the Caribbean Medical 
Supply Company with his late wife, Laura and the St. Croix Surgical 
Center, the island's first privately owned ambulatory surgical service.
  Since 1985, he has served the people of St. Croix as a pharmacist at 
various locations including Gore Pharmacy in Gallows Bay, D&D 
Apothecary in Frederiksted and Drug World Pharmacy in Sion Farm. He 
also worked for the Virgin Islands Department of Health from 1993 to 
2000 as the pharmacist for the Medical Assistance Program at the 
Frederiksted Health Center.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the greatest tributes to Mr. Nixon, who is 
lovingly referred to as ``Doc Nixon'' by the many people who he served 
over the years, is the success of his four children who are all Ivy-
League educated and successful as businessmen and women. Mark, his 
eldest son, is a marketing executive, Tracy, his oldest daughter is an 
entrepreneur, Jennifer is an obstetrician and gynecologist and Alison 
is a conference coordinator. Mark, Tracy and Allison are married with 
families of their own.
  Mr. Nixon was born and raised in Smithfield, North Carolina in 1934. 
He earned his Bachelor Degree in Science and Pharmacy at Texas 
University. Drafted to serve his country in 1959, he served two years 
at Ft. Gordon in Augusta, Georgia.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Nixon had an old fashioned country pharmacist 
approach to helping people. When his children asked him what he liked 
most about being a pharmacist on St. Croix, he said he liked meeting 
and helping people and being a part of the health care team for the 
island. His children remember that after St. Croix was devastated by 
Hurricane Hugo in 1989, how Charles Nixon worked long hours to provide 
as many people as possible with their much needed medication and in 
some instances, he personally delivered the medication to their homes 
after work.
  His children remember that after their mother's death, the local 
newspaper mentioned the urgent need for a substitute pharmacist since 
its only pharmacist, their dad, was out on bereavement leave. This 
``mention'' illustrated for them just how many lives a pharmacist 
touches and how many people depend on them always being there.
  Mr. Speaker, on the eve of his 70th birthday, Mr. Nixon continues his 
work as a pharmacist on St. Croix at the Kmart Pharmacy in 
Frederiksted. I never go there without stopping to visit with him and 
catch up on old times and the latest accomplishments of his children. 
He has re-married to the former Lucille Jacobs and spends his free time 
playing golf, traveling and visiting with his three granddaughters. I 
am proud and honored to be able to call Charles Nixon my friend.
  Charles Nixon's friendliness, willingness to listen and help, his 
professionalism, his dedication to his work, his integrity and success 
as a father and husband, his success as an entrepreneur, his adoption 
of St. Croix as home and his belief in the power of God's love makes 
him eminently worthy of this recognition on behalf of the people of St. 
Croix, the entire Virgin Islands and our Nation.

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