Former Cloudcroft Mayor Michael Nivison Dies at Age 82
Nivison’s family, his brother Randy, and his widow Roxanne, share his story with the Reader
Former public servant Michael Nivison, whose name graces the village’s public library, passed away on February 6th, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of public service and community involvement.
The article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of the Mountain Monthly.
Nivison was born on March 17, 1943, in San Diego, California. Michael was raised by his mother, Betty, and adoptive father, Bill, a retired two-star Admiral, who adopted Michael in infancy. Admiral Nivison’s naval career took the family to postings across the country, including White Sands Missile Range.
Michael attended high school in Las Cruces and later studied at the College of William and Mary before attending San Diego State College in San Diego, California. Michael married Joanne Silvernail in 1963, and they had a son, Michael D. Nivison.
Michael went on to serve with the San Diego Fire Department, retiring in 1980 due to health reasons.
In San Diego, he and Silvernail divorced, and Michael married his second wife, Carol Czarzasty, also known as “Peaches.” They later settled in Cloudcroft and established the Sleepyeye Trading Company in the distinctive stone building on Burro Avenue, where High Altitude owner Matt Willett began his bike shop in the back.
In public life, Michael served the Village of Cloudcroft as Trustee from 1981 to 1988 and as Mayor from 1990 to 1994. He later returned as Village Administrator from 1999 to 2008.
He also served as an Otero County Commissioner, including two years as Chairman. Over the course of his career, he made more than twenty-five trips to Washington, D.C. His family says Nivison secured roughly twenty million dollars in grants and funding for the region and championed fire emergency legislation that was ultimately passed in five states: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, and Montana.
He served on a wide range of advisory boards and committees, working alongside U.S. senators, governors, and federal agencies on issues such as clean drinking water and forest health, as well as the Mexican Spotted Owl recovery plan and the reintroduction of the Mexican Grey Wolf in Catron County.
Nivison’s brother, Randy, recalled that Michael was perhaps most proud and passionate about his music.
A singer and guitarist, he wrote and helped produce five albums of original songs he called Americana, all released under the title “Good Man Dyin”. He performed nearly every weekend for ten years at the Western Bar in Cloudcroft, and for four more years at the Tularosa Cantina after relocating to the basin in 2010.
Michael is survived by his third wife, Roxanne Richardson Nivison, who was his steadfast life partner beginning in 2012, and by his son, Michael D. Nivison.
Even though he moved off the mountain in 2010, Michael and Roxanne kept a cabin in Cloudcroft until 2024, and loved staying there, especially in the summer months.
The Michael Nivison Public Library, formerly known as the Old Red Brick Schoolhouse, and Michael Nivison Way, a downtown street, stand as lasting tributes to his decades of service to the Cloudcroft community.
“He was, in every sense, a good man,” said Roxanne.
A Celebration of Life in honor of Michael Nivison will be held at the Michael Nivison Public Library on Saturday, May 9th, at 2:00 p.m.
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