James Neal Nix “Mr. Ambolds,” 70, of Lorena joined his beloved wife Susan on Saturday, March 9, 2024, peacefully transitioning from this earth to the heavenly one above. Visitation will be 5-7 pm Thursday, at OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque Blvd., Waco, Tx. The funeral will be 10 a.m. Friday, March 15, at Oakcrest Funeral Home with Pastor Jimmy Dorrell officiating. Burial will follow at Waco Memorial Park.

While we know he is fully restored from the dementia and cancer that plagued his body during these final years, we will always miss his uncanny ability to give nicknames, the compassion he showed to his beloved hometown of Waco, and his willingness to do anything and everything for his family and friends. To his family he is “the man who made it all possible,” and to Waco he is more commonly known as Mr. Ambolds.

James was the first boy in many generations born to Willie Neal “Red” Nix and LaVerne of Waco on March 26, 1953, nine years after his sister Sue. As soon as he was able to safely reach the key machines with a stool he was cutting keys and learning the family business. His father was gifted Ambold’s Key, Lock and Alarm from Abe Therrell and quickly expanded the business to include locks in addition to bicycles.

Although James dabbled in driving an ambulance and taking a few classes at McLennan Community College, he chose to honor his parents in taking on the family tradition working at Ambold’s Key, Lock and Alarm for close to sixty five years. While his dad brought the locksmithing aspect to the business, James’ proud contribution was expanding to alarms, fire alarms, safes and fire extinguishers among other newer lock technologies. The business is still alive and well entering its 146th year in continuous operation.

While James may have seemed to be all about the business, he always made time for family, marrying his high school sweetheart Euneta and having his first daughter Heather. After life changes, dad began anew marrying Susan Farnsworth originally of Lubbock. He joyously welcomed with open arms and heart her son Lewis Matthew Howell. Although they thought their family was complete by joining his daughter and her son, a surprise was on the way when their daughter Stephanie Alexandra arrived a little over a year later. They powered through life’s ups and downs for just shy of thirty eight years before Susan devastatingly preceded him in death in November of 2023.

James was an incredibly loved husband, dad, son, brother, uncle and friend to a countless number of people and generations.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie Neal “Red” and LaVerne Nix; his wife, Susan Nix; and numerous aunts and uncles. He is survived by his daughter, Heather Cain, her husband Adam, and their daughter Marley; his daughter, Alex Nix Vaughan, her husband Robert, and their daughters Madrid, Margie and Moxie; his stepson, Matthew Howell, his wife Natascha, and their children Sophia, Samuel, Francisco and Isaac; his sister, Sue Libak and her children Neal Libak and Kara Castro; and many other dear nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends. To know dad was to be his friend.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Methodist Children’s Home of Waco, Mission Waco, and the Salvation Army. The family extends its deepest thanks to Interim Hospice for their expertise, wisdom and assistance during dad’s final days as well as the nurses and staff that cared for dad with love at St. Anthony’s Care Center.