The month of May has been hard on Jason Nixon and his daughters. When they lost Kate Nixon in the Virginia Beach mass shooting, they say they lost their rock.
Kate Nixon's eldest daughter, fourteen-year-old Morgan, has a lot of responsibility. For one thing, she has to make sure her father, Jason, knows what sizes clothing she and her sisters wear. "You know, their mom used to go shopping for them all the time," Jason said. "But I'm learning."
According to 7-year-old Madilyn, dad does know how to buy video games. "Like, 10,000 of them," she said. She doesn't seem to mind.
Kate Nixon was killed in the Virginia Beach mass shooting on May 31, 2019. She was a compliance manager for the City's Public Utilities Department.
The biggest responsibility for Morgan, Madilyn, and Jason is making sure they have memories to share with the youngest daughter, Mackenzie, who is just 2 years old. They worry that she won't know what a special woman their mother was. Morgan especially remembers the times they spent as a family at Disney world in California and Busch Gardens in Virginia. Madilyn treasured the arts and crafts her mom would do with her.
The girls chose their favorite shirts that belonged to their mother, and an extra set for Mackenzie. The shirts will be made into quilts for each of them.
Jason's memories of Kate go back over 20 years. The most precious moments were the births of his daughters, but he also relishes the time when he and Kate were young, broke, and going to college together in California.
"The month of May has been probably the toughest we've had so far, with Mother's Day and everything else," Jason said. Mother's Day last year was the last holiday the family celebrated together. "And then a few weeks after that, all this happened."
To mark the anniversary, the family plans to visit the site of the shooting. They'll bring special rocks the girls painted, and Jason will bring Black Rifle Coffee--Kate's favorite brand. "And some tropical flowers, Kate liked tropical flowers...we're going to make our own little memorial," he said.
Katherine “Kate” Anne Marie Lusich-Nixon 1976-2019
Katherine “Kate” Anne Marie Lusich-Nixon lived her 42 years committed to leaving the world better than how she found it. It is the work of her hands and the labors of her heart that endure as proof that she did. On May 31st, 2019, Kate put her life before others through her fearless actions. After being shot and wounded, Kate called her husband and told him to call 911, after that she proceeded to warn others in her department of the active shooter. Kate and her co-worker Josh helped fight off the shooter and managed to get the shooter to drop his bag carrying extra ammunition and weapons. With the bag out of the shooters possession this helped in the process of the shooter being apprehended. Kate and Josh were murdered in their heroic actions that dreadful day.
Kate took pride in the beautiful life she built with her husband, Jason Nixon and her girls, Morgan Katherine, Madilyn Alexis and Mackenzie Marie. The second of eight children, Kate learned the importance of family early and found strength in being a loving wife and mother—the kind of mother who demonstrated both courage and compassion for her girls. Kate worked long hours for the City of Virginia Beach. She would return home tired, after a long day, but she continued to prepare dinner and get the girls to all of their sport practices, games and religious education classes with no regrets and no complaining. She loved and enjoyed every minute she could get with her husband, Jason and her dear children, Morgan, Madilyn and Mackenzie.
She attended Chico State College in California. Kate was on the Deans list every semester and was one of the first women engineers to get FEMA to rescind a flood zone in Bakersfield California, after she conducted a 100 year flood study report and submitted it through her father’s engineering company (Lusich Engineering). She wrote her engineering reports in Spanish for one of her teachers offering extra credit to do so, even though she did not need it. Kate loved new challenges and would find a solution to any problem you threw at her. Kate was a fixer and saw problems as opportunities to make things better. Kate always lived by her morals and values. Kate would say to her husband, If I am not doing this, then who will? Kate graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 2003. She passed her (EIT) Engineer in training Exam and (PE) Professional Engineer Exam on her first attempts which is a feat in all its own. She was widely respected in her field and had a long list of well-known clients from the West coast to the East Coast. Kate was a strong advocate for women pursuing careers in the engineering field, which was very male dominated.
She spent 10 years of her career with the City of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department. As a compliance manager she worked with the motto, “If I’m not doing it, who will?” She got things done and completed projects to 100% and by code. She took pride and ownership in everything she did in life. She was a very ethical and logical person and gave great thought into what ever she did, she was always two -three steps ahead of most people in her thought process.
Forever a person of action, Kate sought to build a robust community by getting involved. She was president of the Pembroke Meadows Civic League, a dedicated and enthusiastic member of St. Gregory The Great Catholic Church, the announcer for the Pembroke Marlin swim team and actively supported the Little Sisters of the Poor—a Catholic organization that offers the neediest elderly of every race and religion a home where they will be welcomed. Kate would host Civic League Meetings at her house often and enjoyed being a part of her neighborhood. Kate enjoyed spending her summer evenings at the neighborhood pool with her family and friends.
Kate enjoyed the little things in life. That is what made her the happiest. She enjoyed being out in the garden with her girls. Every year, Kate planted and tended her vegetable garden. She also planted flowers with her girls—blue ones for Morgan, purple ones for Madilyn, pink ones for Mackenzie, red ones for Jason, Rascal the family dog had white ones and hers were yellow. Kate loved Virginia Beach and its lifestyle and environment. She enjoyed spending time at the beach and attending family and friends cook outs. Kate cherished her family time and chose to work for the city of Virginia Beach because a city job provided her more valuable time to spend with her family opposed to working in the private sector as she did before.
Kate always put others before herself. Her generosity and kindness will reside in the thoughts of those who had the pleasure of knowing her. Left to cherish her memory with her immediate family are her grandfather, James F. Dandy; her mother Julie Lusich, brothers Paul, Matthew, Daniel and Philip; and sisters Suzanne, Nancy and Caroline, as well as innumerable nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins and close friends. She was predeceased by her father Bob Lusich, grandfather George Lusich, grandmothers, Suzanne Dandy, Dorthy Lusich and her father-in-law, Captain William Fred Nixon.
Kate was a significant gift who filled us with an unrivaled gratitude we did not realize was there—she will be forever missed she was a one of a kind. Kate was an individual that stood for integrity, honesty, and led by example. Kate’s daughters, ages 14, 7 and 2 years old have many of Kate’s morals and values of life instilled in them. As they hold close and tightly onto every memory with their mommy each day. Kate’s legacy will live on through her three beautiful daughters. She raised them to be strong, faithful, and independent girls. When you hear each of the girls speak you can hear Kate speaking. “Kate’s Light Shines”