Nixson Lee Borah

Nixson Borah, 87, passed away in San Diego, California on September 4, 2025. Nixson was an accomplished artist, educator, and poet.

Nixson grew up in San Luis Obispo, California and earned degrees at UC Santa Barbara (B.A.), University of Washington (M.F.A.), and Claremont Graduate University (Ph.D.). In 1959, he married Esther J. Gonzales and they moved to Fullerton, California and raised two children, Farfalla and Vincent. Following their divorce, Nixson moved to Los Angeles and then retired to Atascadero, California in 2003. During that time, Nixson had a loving 35 year relationship with Edward Smink and they married in 2022 before moving to San Diego, California.

Nixson enjoyed a career as an exhibiting Southern California artist and Professor of Art at Fullerton College. He retired from teaching in 2003 and moved to the Central Coast where he continued to make art and pursued a passion for poetry.

The range of art that Nixson has produced and exhibited covers a wide spectrum of media that includes drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and photography. His work has been shown in numerous galleries and museums and is included in private collections on both coasts. His most recent solo exhibition was at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, and his work is currently featured in a permanent collection exhibition at the Fullerton College Art Gallery.

Nixson taught a variety of studio art courses for the Fullerton College Art Department from 1962-2003. He also helped create the Fine Arts Honors Program and founded the printmaking program in the 1970s. He is fondly remembered by many former students and colleagues at the College.

As a poet, he has been a featured reader at several Central Coast poetry venues during the past 15 years, including periodic readings at the annual San Luis Obispo Poetry Festival. Nixson published a collection of his poetry entitled Time Zones, Penciled In, in 2019.

Nixson is survived by his husband, Edward, daughter, Farfalla, brother, William, grandchild, Roz, and William’s daughter, Shelli, two granddaughters, and great-grandchildren. Nixson was preceded in death by his son, Vincent, and nephew, William.