Pamela S. Nixon, collector of Santa Clauses

Pamela S. Nixon, a gardener and historic preservationist who collected Santa Clauses, died July 9 of congestive heart failure and complications of diabetes at the Broadmead Retirement Community in Cockeysville. The former longtime Lutherville resident was 73.

The former Pamela Swiss, who was the daughter of Dr. Adam Swiss, a physician, and his wife, Sarah Jane Swiss, a stay-at-home parent, was born in Philadelphia and later moved with her family to Kingsville and, after living in Overlea, settled in 1956 in Towson.

She was a 1965 graduate of Penn Hall Academy in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and earned an associate’s degree in business administration in 1967 from Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

Mrs. Nixon worked for several years as an administrative assistant at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital and in 1971 married George F. “Bud” Nixon, co-owner of Ruckert Terminals Corp.

The couple lived for many years in Historic Lutherville until moving to Broadmead last year.

An accomplished gardener, Mrs. Nixon was a former president of the Lutherville Garden Club, where she earned awards for floral presentations, family members said.

Mrs. Nixon was a potter and watercolorist, and an avid collector of Christmas decorations, including more than 1,000 Santa Clauses. She also enjoyed traveling.

Interested in historic preservation, she served on committees whose mission was the preservation of historic, original Lutherville.

She and her husband were longtime communicants of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, where she had been an active member of its Altar Guild.

Acelebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 1 at her church, 130 W. Seminary Ave. in Lutherville.

In addition to her husband of 48 years, Mrs. Nixon is survived by a son, Andrew G. Nixon, of Monkton; a brother, Thomas C. Swiss, of Roland Park; four grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.