Joy Nixon Rigot

Rigot, Joy Nixon

It is with profound sorrow, but with admiration and respect for a life well-lived, that I report that Joy Nixon Rigot, my beloved wife of 54 years, passed away on September 29, 2023, at age 78, after a heroic, 15-month battle with stage four pancreatic cancer. From very humble beginnings in the Appalachian hills of Southeastern Ohio, Joy through sheer strength of character earned a scholarship to Ohio University for a Bachelor of Science in Education and a scholarship to St. Louis University for a Masters Degree in Social Work. As an educator and social worker, she dedicated her professional career to helping the underprivileged realize their God-given potential despite the challenging circumstances they faced. Joy is survived by Joseph M. Rigot, husband of 54 years, three children - Stacey Gist (JeVaughn) of Suwanee, Georgia, Andrea Fitzgerald (Brett) of Centerville, Ohio and Stuart Rigot (Meredith) of Raleigh, North Carolina - six grandchildren (Jalen, Andruw, Sam, Ella, Cole and Knox), her sister Carol, several beloved nieces and nephews, and her dearest friend for over 40 years, Kathy Shiveley. Joy was a devoted animal lover, and it is our hope, she is greeted in death by her countless fur babies in life. She held a very special place in her heart for her childhood cat Fluffy and her precious LaBelle. At death, the body has completed its mission on earth and the spirit departs. It is my hope that Joy and I will meet in the future with the same joy and love we shared when we first met at Hughes High School in Cincinnati in 1968. Joy requested that her family gather for a private weekend in her beloved Appalachian foothills of Southeastern Ohio as a celebration of her life and for the spreading of her ashes on her cherished homeland.