Former Buffalo Bill Honors His Late Wife On Eclipse Day

Everyone in Western New York was looking forward to April 8 to watch the eclipse, but one former member of the Buffalo Bills honored his late wife with the interstellar moment. 

Since the Buffalo Bills began their professional football legacy back in 1960, there have been several players that have always had a soft spot for Western New York. 

Jeffry Nixon is one of them. Nixon was a defensive back that was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 4th round during the 1979 NFL Draft. He played for the Bills for five years before suffering a career-ending knee injury in 1984. 

However, he continued his life in Western New York, becoming a sports analyst on WKBW and making memories with his late wife Joyce Wilson Nixon.

Wilson Nixon was the longtime executive director of the National Inner Cities Youth Opportunities (N.I.C.Y.O.) program. She always advocated for the youth community, and she really was such an inspiration to our community. Mayor Byron Brown even honored her service by renaming a building that she frequently worked out of to help young children in Buffalo.  

Jeff Nixon has many fond memories with his wife, and one that really stands out is the solar eclipse they watched together in 2017. 

On Sunday, April 7, Nixon reflected on the memory with his wife, and he shared his plans to honor her on this year’s rare eclipse. 

“On August 21, 2017 Joyce and I watched the solar eclipse at Forest Lawn Cemetery at the site of the "Angel of Hope" memorial. Tomorrow I will be there again for this heavenly event. I will be spreading some of Joyce's ashes at the base of the Angel in the exact place where she stood in this photo.”

And on Eclipse Day, Jeff Nixon kept his promise. 

“She is now my ‘Angel of Hope,’” Nixon wrote on Facebook. 

It was such a touching tribute to a wonderful lady, who the community continues to sorely miss. Thank you for sharing, Jeff.