Former county commissioner, environmental advocate Nancy Higgs dies at age 75

Nancy Noel Higgs — a former Brevard County commissioner, environmental advocate and business owner — has died at age 75 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Higgs, a longtime resident of Brevard's south beaches area, served on the Brevard County Commission for three four-year terms, from 1992 to 2004, representing District 3 in South Brevard.

But her taste for government service dated back many years before that. While attending Boone High School in Orlando, she was the president of her class, which, along with her experiences as a member and president of a YMCA-related service club in high school, fueled her interest in government. She was selected by the state of Florida to be a member of the Lieutenant Governor’s Youth Advisory Council, which met in Tallahassee to provide the perspectives of young people to the state elected officials. Higgs also was a senator in the Florida State University student government.

"She was a thoughtful leader," said Merritt Island resident Karen Andreas, who served with Higgs on the County Commission. "She had a passion, not just for her constituents, but for everyone in the county. She was such a dynamic person. She was dependable, and carried her own weight."

Higgs' husband, Patrick Higgs, said his wife always was a registered Democrat, but served in a nonpartisan way on the commission.

"Her most notable trait was her ability to get with people from different interests and different parties to get action," Patrick Higgs said.

Andreas, also a Democrat, recalled that "it was a different time in those days," with a "collegial" atmosphere among the commissioners, regardless of political party affiliation ― although "not to say we didn't argue at times" during commission debates.

Among Higgs' accomplishments were protecting the Mullet Creek islands in the south beaches area from development of a golf course with high-rise condos on the islands; controlling development density and building height in her district, including the south beaches area; preservation of natural habitats; and the establishment of the Melbourne Beach Public Library.

"Until she became ill in 2018, Nancy was engaged and excited to encourage potential political aspirants with any advice that would help them become better public servants," her husband recalled. "And that was offered to Democrats, Republicans and independents."

Business ownership

Higgs graduated from FSU in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in religion and a minor in government. She continued her education at FSU by receiving a Master of Science in counselor education in 1973, and had since done work in doctoral programs at Mississippi State University, Florida Tech and Capella University.

Higgs partnered with her husband on several education-related businesses.

In 2006, Nancy and Patrick Hicks started Education Solutions International, with Nancy serving as president. The business offered GED educational services to youth who aged out of foster care and who had dropped out of high school, lacking a graduation credential. From 2006 until she developed Alzheimer's disease in 2018, the company helped thousands of foster-care youth who lacked a high school diploma receive their GED diploma so they could get better jobs and attend college.

"She always said that all it took was one success in something like GED achievement to change a young person’s life, so she was going to have that as her goal," Patrick Higgs said.

During her career, Higgs also was assistant dean of students at Mississippi University for Women, where she also taught in the physical education department. She also was an adjunct professor at Florida Institute of Technology.

Varied outside interests

Also a marathoner: Higgs, 67, ready to run Boston

Higgs had varied interests outside the political and business realms as well. She became active on issues related to water quality and the environment because of concerns she had when living in the Sunnyland Beach area.

She fished the Indian River Lagoon and Mullet Creek islands area since her arrival in Brevard County in 1980. At one time, she held two International Game Fish Association records for women in the snook and spotted sea trout categories.

Higgs also was an avid runner, competing in 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon races, including the Boston Marathon.

She served on a wide range of community boards ― from the Marine Resources Council to the Surfside Playhouse, and from the Brevard Health Alliance to the Brevard Family Partnership.

Patrick Higgs said his wife "learned persistence, tenacity, gratitude, giving back to the community, caringand acceptance" from her mother, "and she strived to exemplify those traits her whole life. Nancy oftenshined as a commissioner during difficult times, and the Barefoot Bay tornado and the 2004 hurricanes were perhaps among her finest examples of leadership, compassion and determination to fix things."

Higgs died peacefully on July 10 under the care of the staff at Market Street Viera and Vitas Hospice.

Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Patrick; and their two sons, Matthew of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and Alan ofMableton, Georgia.

A celebration of life event for Higgs will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 20 at Honest John's Fish Camp, 750 Old Florida Trail, in south Melbourne Beach area.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com , on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Former county commissioner, environmental advocate Nancy Higgs dies at age 75