George C. “Tim” Hixon – prominent local businessman, conservationist, philanthropist, champion of education, hunter, angler and past president of Boone and Crockett Club – passed away Wednesday, July 18, at the age of 81.
Hixon, of San Antonio, Texas, served as president of Boone and Crockett Club from 1990-91. One of Hixon’s many contributions during his lifetime was his steadfast dedication to leaving nature better than he found it and passing on his ethics to his children and grandchildren.
Education was a lifelong passion of Hixon, and he lent his energy to his alma maters, Hotchkiss and Trinity, as well as St. Mary’s Hall, serving as Trustee at each. Hotchkiss recognized him as its “Man of the Year” in 2000 and at Trinity he served as Chairman of the Board and was recognized as its Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 1998. Hixon also promoted education through his advocacy for the Texas Biomedical Research Institute where he served as Director and Chairman and was a patron of the arts, serving as Trustee Emeritus of the McNay Art Museum.
Above all, conservation was Hixon’s cause, and he delighted in promoting it through countless channels – a passion shared by his wife of 43 years, Karen Johnson Hixon. An avid sportsman, Hixon loved the outdoors, most specifically the wild outdoors, and firmly believed that it was those closest to the land that had the most strongly vested interest in its preservation. Hixon’s travel was guided by a belief that “trout live in really nice places.” His friends considered him a pioneer in the fishing world, chasing giant sea-run brown trout in Tierra del Fuego and record tarpon in Islamorada.
“The hunting, angling, and conservation community lost another champion,” said Boone and Crockett Club President Ben B. Hollingsworth Jr. “Tim was old school, tireless and dedicated with a can-do attitude that embodies the spirit of a true conservationist. We are saddened by the loss of one of our leaders, extend our sympathy to his family and give our sincerest thanks to him for his lifetime of unwavering work in support of conservation and the preservation of the natural world.”
In 1997, Hixon received the highest honor bestowed by the Boone and Crockett Club, the prestigious Sagamore Hill Award – an award in dedication to the Theodore Roosevelt family, “for steadfast devotion to the preservation of the Club’s rich traditions and its historical legacy of wildlife conservation.”