Claire Nixon: The Kate Hepburn of Traverse City

Though Claire Nixon could dress up when the occasion decreed, she was at home in summer or winter ski wear. Photo: Elizabeth Conley.

Aug. 23 marks the 5^th year of the passing of Claire Nixon, a great Traverse City character. Whenever I think of that cyclone of energy that was Claire, everything from church to cooking to skiing to socializing comes to mind. No matter what the activity, Claire always went full tilt.

Claire was proud of her French blood
and loved her red wine!

When I first met Claire, I was 30 and she was 65. I moved to beautiful Boughey Hill in Traverse City, MI the summer of 1989 with my partner, Jigger. We were the few young people who lived up there. Up by the Traverse City Golf and Country Club, the neighborhood swiftly grew in the post-war era, but now most of the neighbors were retirees. We lived across the street from Claire and Don Nixon. I joked that having the Nixon family as neighbors was like living On Golden Pond. Claire instantly reminded me of feisty Katharine Hepburn and Don was the quiet, sometimes grumpy Henry Fonda character. Claire was always on the go—to church, the supermarket, wherever—in her pale green station wagon. Don was always puttering in the garage or yard. Claire ruled the house and Don the garage and yard. When whirlwind Claire overstepped her boundaries, neatnik Don would give her an earful, and vice versa! I became very fond of both of them, and when Jigger suddenly died at age 46, Claire and Don were supportive neighbors.

Me with my favorite photo of Claire & Don.

When I made the Katharine Hepburn comparison to Claire, she was flattered. Claire said Kate was her favorite actress and role model as a college student at Marygrove in Detroit. Like Kate, Claire came from an educated family, who also were forward-thinking. Claire graduated in ’46, with a degree in social work, though once married Don, she primarily raised their family and became involved in church and local activities. I once loaned Claire an excellent Hepburn biography. Claire liked the bio so much, that she refused to give it back!

Life next door to Claire & Don was like this!

While Hepburn was fair-skinned, freckled, and auburn-haired, Claire was of French descent on both sides, with dark hair, eyes, and skin that was perpetually tanned. As Claire grew older, like Kate, she let herself age naturally and was aided with strong features that mellowed with time. Funny thing, though Claire had many fine lines from years in the sun, I never thought she looked old. Claire was so energetic, that she seemed eternally youthful to me.

As with Hepburn, who sported a lifetime of slacks, turtlenecks, and clogs, Claire Nixon was most comfortable in her casual uniforms: swimsuits, sandals, shorts, tee shirts in the summer, and turtlenecks and snow pants in the winter. I always think of Claire as a summer person and can’t even remember what kind of indoor pants she wore during winter—just ski pants. Kate and Claire shared the same thrift and more than a few folks who met Hepburn were surprised that her famous style included threads that were frayed or torn. Claire and I both shared the same favorite color, aqua blue. I once complimented Claire on a polo shirt that color that I hadn’t seen her wear before. It was fashionably frayed by today’s standards, but still looked nice, and set off her tan and silver hair. “You like it?” Claire said with a twinkle in her eye. “I bought it when I was pregnant with Nick.” Nick was my age and I was then over 50! 

A gift from Claire's kids to commemorate one of her later birthdays.

Claire wasn't quite as competitive as Kate!

As a mid-century business man’s wife, Claire had nice clothes from at least three different decades—and still trotted them out on occasion. When I hosted “swanky” cocktail parties, Claire never lacked for anything to wear, whether it was fur coat or a ‘60s cocktail dress. Once, when meeting her son’s girl friend, who was wearing leather pants, Claire ran out of the room and came back decked in her leather bell bottoms from the ’70s.

Unlike Katharine Hepburn, who preferred her privacy, Claire never met a stranger. Anyone who met Claire just once knew that she was a talker. She loved an audience, but was genuinely curious about people. Claire was always the life of my parties, wowing guests who were four or five decades younger. I recall one party we attended together, where a guest offered belly dance demonstrations. Need I tell you that Claire was one of the first to get up and gyrate?

Once, at a neighborhood gathering, where Claire was carrying on, a longtime friend and neighbor leaned over to me and said, “Claire always was a ham!” I immediately thought of a Hepburn quote that Kate attributed to her father: “Kathy’s the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral!”

W/Claire at 'Come as your favorite decade' party.
I'm an urbane cowboy! Photo/E. Conley

Claire and her family were athletic—downhill skiing in the winter, waterskiing and swimming in the summer. I always have a mental picture of Claire cooking in the winter, wearing her turtlenecks and ski pants. When Claire was a young housewife, she did her ironing and house cleaning at night, so that she could play outside during the day. And Claire got up on skis, both in the snow and water, until she was into her 80s.

Like Hepburn, Claire was known to bat a tennis ball around. A few times, we went over to the courts at the local junior high school to practice. Even so, Claire was competitive, as always. Before we even began, Claire announced that I had to spot her extra serves “because I’m old!”

Claire & Don Nixon, starting their family.

Claire’s perfectionism was at times directed at those around her. My weight could yo-yo and one time, it creeping up again. When I stopped over at Claire’s, she offered me coffee and some of her homemade pie. As she served it up, Claire leaned over and said in a stage whisper, “You’re gaining weight!” She couldn’t help herself, but I teasingly offered to spit it out. She responded by smacking me on the arm and forbidding me not to waste her pie.

Claire and me at a summer party. Photo/E. Conley.

It was typical to see Claire’s sea green station wagon at Tom’s Super Market down the hill, where she was always on the prowl for bargains. Once, I noticed she was parked at the front of the store’s drive up, motor running—but no Claire. When I walked in, there was Claire, gabbing at someone, drinking Tom’s complimentary coffee. I said hi, and after a couple of minutes of Claire holding forth, I asked if she’d like me to park her car, as she was in a no parking zone. Claire just smiled and said, “Oh, they all know whose car it is!”

Some of Claire’s antics and attitudes make me think of this famous Katharine Hepburn quote: “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun!”

Like 'On Golden Pond,' Claire's family celebrated a lot of occasions by the water,
in the Nixon clan's case, it was at lovely Cedar Lake outside Traverse City.

Someday, I want to write more in-depth about my favorite neighbor because, to borrow from Reader’s Digest, Claire Nixon was one of the most unforgettable characters I’ve ever met. The above are just snap shots that come to mind. I think of Claire endlessly cooking, running off to pray or volunteer at Saint Francis Church, packing the station wagon for a day at the slopes or lake. I often think of Claire’s good humor and positive attitude. And despite cancer ultimately taking Claire, she lived long enough to celebrate not only her 89^th birthday with TWO parties, but her 90^th birthday, as well—with another party.

Claire made the “90” club, like her idol Kate Hepburn, who lived to be 96. Like my cocktail parties, not only was Claire the life of the party, but always one of the last to go. Cheers to you, Claire Nixon!

'Mama' Claire with one of her several farewell birthday cakes!