Canandaigua Lake has lost a devoted sailor. On August 18th, 2025,
George Cary Nix, age 86, died of natural causes. A self-taught seaman, sailing with friends and family was a constant source of his happiness. For 47 years, George was a devoted member of the Canandaigua Yacht Club, serving as its Commodore in 1991. He sailed with his family on a Catalina 22, the Whee IV, and moved up to a J24 named Schizo with fellow member Jim Meehan. His CYC membership was a steadfast source of incredible joy and camaraderie.
George was born February 21, 1939, to Milton Nix and Ruth Pinkham Nix, in Evanston, Illinois. In 1948, George became an older brother to his sister Terry, shortly before the Nix family moved to Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Following his graduation from Chagrin Falls High School in 1957, George headed to the Northeast to study at Colby College where he was introduced to the Maine coastline; its rugged beauty would draw him back to sail with his own family for years to come. George enjoyed his years at Colby as a spirited member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, graduating in 1961 with a B.A. in Business Administration. That same year, he started his eight-year service within the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves, and secured a job with Anken Chemical & Film Corporation outside of New York City, where he soon reconnected with a fellow Colby alum, Class of ‘63, Jeanne Cecile Tougas of Brunswick, Maine. George and Cile married in 1964, and bought their first home in northern New Jersey. Over the next five years, they welcomed two daughters into the world, Laura (1966) and Andrea (1969).
George will be remembered for his keen intelligence, dry wit, and his creative streak that showed everywhere—his photo darkroom, woodworking shop, and his enduring love of jazz. His lifelong fascination with computer technology had its birth under the Xerox banner, starting when he moved the family to Rochester, NY, in 1973 to work within its Market Intelligence Systems division. The family bought a home in Fairport, NY, where both his daughters graduated from high school.
In 1981, George left Xerox to launch his own business, Alternate View Corporation, to capture the burgeoning intersection of graphic software and marketing. He also spent several decades consulting through his company, Advanced Business Concepts. In 2000, he was named the Director of Programs of the High Tech Business Council of Rochester where he worked until 2004. After George and Cile divorced in 1990, George continued to live in Fairport for the next 23 years. He moved to Canandaigua in 2015, where he served on the resident council of Wilcox Lane Apartments, enjoying his friends and capturing photographs of the magnificent Finger Lakes cloud displays in all seasons.
In 2021, a health crisis prompted George to join the Jewish Home of Rochester community, where he was cared for by its compassionate staff. Continuing his tradition of serving his community, George offered tech support to other residents, sang in the choir, and served on the resident council. The Nix family will be forever grateful for the care and friendship he experienced there. George loved and was proud of his daughters and his grandsons, Aidan and Roan Fine, who deeply loved him back. They strive to carry on his legacy of creativity, independent thinking and community service.
A memorial service will be held at the Johnson Kennedy Funeral Home in Canandaigua, NY at a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations in remembrance can be sent to:
Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association (CLWA) or
Jewish Home Foundation (in tribute to George Nix).
