Elvira Nixon

Elvira (Urias) Nixon of Mesa, Arizona passed peacefully in her sleep on November 14, 2018. Born on October 14, 1922 in Oak Glen, California she was raised in and around Southern California. Her parents passed at very young ages, and she helped to raise her siblings, 11 in total.  A proud veteran of the United States Air Force, she met her late husband James Joseph Nixon while stationed at March Field AFB in California.  She left the Air Force to raise a family, and selflessly move the family with James to posts across the US and abroad before moving to Arizona in 1971 where they retired.

Her friends called her Vera, and her nickname was the Bear, since she was pretty grumpy getting folks up in the morning.  She was as shy and private as a person can be, married to a man that loved to be around people, but they made it work.  She loved sports (especially her Arizona Cardinals and Diamondbacks), and traveling around the country to watch baseball was a favorite pastime; which gave dad ample opportunities to share stories with complete strangers along the way.   She loved music, and her daughter Jamie made sure one of her favorite artists was playing every night when she went to bed.  She was opinionated and bullheaded, and you can see that in all of her children, because she wanted them to have a strong voice when their turn came for opportunities that she had never enjoyed.  

She was a loving mother, and opened her home to neighbors that just needed someone to talk to or a peaceful place to hang out.  She was an amazing wife to her late husband for 50 years, and his loss weighed heavy on her for the past 12 years.  She is bringing a list of honey dos for him when they meet at the gates of heaven.  She leaves behind her loving daughters Melanie Anne Hammond and husband Larry; Kimberly Beth Dallesandro and husband Joe, Jamie Lee Robertson and husband Terry and his mother Patty McCarroll; and her loving son Michael Roy Nixon and wife Tina. She was the beloved Grandmother of Elictia Tanyel Hart, Joffrey Laurice Hammond, Tessa Larey Hammond, Eva Nichole Neveau, Brandon Michael Robertson, Tyler James Robertson and Connor Joseph Nixon and great grandchildren, Micah James and Jemma Joelle Hart.  She was also the proud Godmother to Michelle Goldmeer. She has been blessed with many friends and relatives throughout her life, too many to mention all of them here, but they should all know she loved them dearly. Special thanks to her dear friend Mary Tracy for the phone calls and laughs over the years that made the past seem like not so long ago; Barbara Matzinger who kept in touch with her and sent her thoughtful cards and crafts; and Ms. Lataral Lewis, her loving caregiver and friend who was with her until the end.  A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on December 1, 2018 at the Bunker Family Funeral Home, located at 3592 E. University Drive, Mesa, AZ. The burial will take place at the National Memorial Cemetery, located at 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA on December 3, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in the name of Elvira Nixon can be made to Alzheimer’s Association National Headquarters, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601 or at https://www.alz.org/.