Bria Marie Nix

Bria’s Life Journey

On November 12, 1993, Lillian (Shelley) and Harold Nix were blessed with a gift from God, their first daughter, Bria Marie Nix. On Saturday, February 10 th , God collected His gift and called her home.

Bria was the light of Shelley and Harold’s world. From the start, Bria was a fashionista, where her mother often changed her 2-3 times a day and you could be guaranteed that when she went out with her father, she had some type of outfit that had a matching hat. Bria was the happiest baby and had the biggest smile that melted the hearts of her family, especially, her grandfather, Deacon Joseph Beard. As a baby her favorite book was by Dr. Seuss, “The Foot Book” and every single time it was read to her she would laugh as if she’d never heard it before.

Bria grew up in the Ebenezer Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Rev. Dr. Lewis Johnson and in 2004, Rev. Gilbert S. Hamm Sr. became her Pastor. She was dedicated back to God at the age of 2 months and later baptized at the same church. While at Ebenezer, Bria was a member of the Youth Ushers, Youth Department and Youth Voices for Christ Choir, where she held various leadership positions.

She received her early education at Shortlidge Elementary, Marion T. Academy, Gunning Bedford & Springer Middle Schools and finally Mt. Pleasant High School, graduating from their Honors program in 2012. While attending school, Bria participated in Student Council, AVID, the National High School Honor Society, and she attended a Rising Youth Leadership Conference in Alexandria, VA. She was a member of the volleyball team at Mt. Pleasant and because of her leadership skills, she was selected to be captain of the Mt. Pleasant Lady Knights Basketball team. During her younger years, you would find her involved in the No Limit Drill Team and involved in summer youth basketball leagues. She also was a member of the 2012 Alpha Kappa Alpha Debutante Court. Following high school, Bria enrolled in Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. With a longing to be closer to her family after the passing of her beloved Aunt Quinetta in 2014, Bria returned to DE. With a goal to continue her education and a promise made to her aunt, Bria transferred to Delaware State University in the Fall of 2014. She often said, this was the best decision that she could have made for herself. She was a member of the Fairy God Sisters of DE (a self-empowering group of young ladies) at DSU. In 2016, Bria was invited to pledge the illustrious Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. She was a part of the Spring ’16 line of the “Final Destination First 48” line and was given the name of “Rare Form.” In 2017, she completed an internship with DE Senator Chris Coons, which she truly valued, and this put her on a pursuit for better educational opportunities for school aged children. On Saturday. May 12, 2018, Bria graduated from DSU with her degree in Political Science.

Anyone who knew Bria, knew that her smile and confidence lit up any room that she entered. She loved fashion! She switched up her looks often; always surprising us with her different looks and new hairstyles. She had a large shoe collection that mimicked her mother’s. She had an eclectic taste for high-end perfumes and never went a week without treating herself to a bouquet of fresh flowers. Bria loved to cook, easily creating a meal from anything she had in her kitchen. And she wouldn’t allow you to eat before she plated the dish and then captured the perfect video. Bria came from a cooking family on her mother’s side as well as her father’s side; but she often modeled gourmet meals after her father, using various spices to heighten the taste of her dishes. She and her father would compare various ways of making dishes and spent time defending whose dish was the best; she enjoyed that time with her father. It was almost guaranteed that when you entered her apartment, her favorite television show, Law and Order would be on.

Bria shared a special bond with her siblings. She was the epitome of what a big sister should be, and she was very protective of them. When she was a little girl, she was so excited that she was going to have a baby sister, that her parents gave her two names to select for her new sister and Bria quickly chose the name, Maya. She loved going on sister dates with Maya. One of their most recent moments was celebrating their 25th and 30th birthdays together and traveling to Houston, TX to attend the Beyonce Renaissance Tour. She loved talking basketball with her brother Quinton and her dad. She knew and loved the game of basketball and was able to give the stats of her favorite players. You could find her coaching from the sofa when a team was not playing well. It was nothing for her to shout out at the tv which plays should have been called. She loved being a listening and supportive ear for her youngest brother Aaron, who she adored. Bria was her mother’s mini-me. She was the spitting image of her mother in so many ways and it drove her crazy when she would be out and someone would approach her and ask, ‘Is Shelley your mother.’ One of the rewarding and proud moments for Bria and her Mother was when they graduated and obtained degrees on the same day in 2018. Bria enjoyed spending time with her “nieces and nephews”, who affectionately called her Titi. Bria ALWAYS showed up for those that she loved. She made sure that her love was shown by actions and not just words. She never missed an opportunity to support her friends and family.

Bria always looked forward to family gatherings. She cherished the memories of the times she spent with her Gi-Gi and Aunts Quinetta and Jo-Jo. She especially liked spending time with her cousins and extended family, who were all considered cousins. No matter the reason for the gathering, Bria’s infectious laughter could be heard throughout the entire house. We all knew when Bria was getting tired, because her laugh became even louder, and she became super silly.

During high school, Bria was a teen-volunteer at Christiana Care. She was later hired by the Junior Board of Christiana Care and worked in the hospital gift shop at Wilmington Hospital. She had such a pleasant demeanor about herself and often assisted customers by selecting the perfect gift for loved ones who were ill. Bria has always had a love for children. She worked as a teacher at the Freedom School during her summers while in college. Upon graduating from DSU, she became employed with Conexio at the Chris Sturmfels Group Home, where she was a Case Manager. She quickly formed a bond with all of the women who resided at the house, often taking them to church and sharing other activities with them. Her bond was further extended to her co-workers where she formed lasting relationships. In 2019, she returned to work with children in the school system. This is where she found her true calling. She truly had a heart for helping children reach their full potential. There was not a day that went by, no matter how hard and difficult it might have been, that Bria was not encouraging a young child to do his or her best. She often created inspirational mantras for the children to live by a technique she learned while working with the Freedom School. Her work as a Behavioral Interventionist at The Douglass School inspired her to have a goal to become a full-time teacher. Her goal was achieved in November 2023 when she was moved into the position of Math Teacher.

On February 6 th , 2022, her life changed when she became the mom to Kru Greyson Nix. Kru was truly her baby, her fur baby. Kru was always ready to go with his mommy. His stroller and car seat stayed ready, and his bag stayed packed with clothes, wipes, snacks and anything else she thought he might need. Their bond was remarkable to watch. She spared no expense when it came to Kru. He has an extensive wardrobe, and they often got ready for bed with matching pajamas on. She made him gourmet meals, threw birthday parties for him, leaving no detail out; Invitations, decorations, wrapped presents, party favors, a personalized birthday cake and more. Kru was truly the light of her life and was with her when God said it was time to go. Bria’s memory will now shine brightly through the light in Kru’s eyes.

She was predeceased by her maternal grandparents, Deacon Joseph & Deaconess Lillian Beard and Paternal grandparents, Bishop Woodrow and Pastor Mary Parsons, aunts, Dr. Quinetta Penn & Jo-Ann Beard (who was also her godmother), uncle Wilbert Normand, cousins, Brandon Beard, Kiana Wilmer, Monique Beard, Andre Moore.

Bria’s memory will forever be remembered and cherished by the absolute joy of her heart, Kru Greyson, Mother, Lillian (Shelley) Nix, Father, Harold Nix Jr., siblings, Quinton, Maya and Aaron Nix; paternal grandfather, Harold Nix Sr., Spiritual Grandmother, Rev. Alyce B. Husser, Uncles, Jeffrey Beard, Steven Beard, Gregory Beard, Michael Beard; aunts, Arlene Eaddy-Beard, Karen Stanford (Kenny), Lukisha Normand and Sherfone Peralta-Kelly (Julio), God-daughter Mai Blake, God-sisters Elder Shanika Simpson Williams & Denasya Ames, God-Father, Gary Newby, SisterCousins, Monet & Alyssa, Special Friends Malajah Person, Rakiya Lockamy, Kashanna Robinson, Shakera Wooten and Janae Phillips, her “Final Destination First 48” Line Sisters of DST, Sheldon Sorrell, Taylor Civilus and Kyle Shepard. Her village of Special Aunts and Uncles, her students and colleagues at Douglas Elementary School, her clients and colleagues from the Chris Sturmfels Group Home and a host of great-uncles, great-aunts, cousins, and friends.