Nivia “Nivy” Buchanan

November 23, 2022

Nivia “Nivy” Buchanan of Jay, FL went to be with our Lord on Saturday, November 12, 2022, after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

She will be dearly missed by every person she ever encountered as she was a shining example of God’s love on earth! Nivia was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and moved to the US when her father was stationed back ‘main side’. The family settled in Milton, FL where she attended Milton High School. After high school Nivy attended Pensacola Junior College and became a Dental Assistant. It was through this vocation that she met the love of her life, Gary Buchanan. They were married in 1990 and began a wonderful life together. They built her dream home and ran Gary’s dental laboratory business together, but it was her barn or her kitchen where Nivia was the happiest.

Nivia loved all animals, but especially Paso Fino horses and convinced Gary that she wanted to raise and train them. They traveled all over to many horse shows, and her greatest achievement was winning 3rd place against Paso Finos from all over the world, at the 2007 Mundial Confepaso: Paso Fino World Cup on her Fino stallion. Nivy had a heart of gold so big that there was never a soul in her presence who was lonely or hungry. Nivia was proud of her Puerto Rican heritage and manifested that love for her birthplace and the people around her by cooking for them – everyone who ever had her cooking would marvel at it for weeks, especially her infamous “Puerto Rican rice and beans”. Nivy was the true definition of love, she welcomed everyone and made everyone feel warm and special and she will be dearly missed.

Nivia is survived by her adoring husband, Gary Buchanan and daughter, Audrey Buchanan, both from Jay, FL; as well as her parents, James and Iris Lay of Milton, FL; her siblings, Maggie (Darwin) Floyd of Jack, AL, James (Rita) Lay, Jr. of Cantonment, FL, Keith Lay of Milton, FL, Edna Juan of Orlando, FL, and Vilma Juan of Bayamon; and her nieces and nephews who will miss their TiTi Nivy – Kyle Lay, Tyler Lay, Emily Lay, Fischer Lay, and Kendall Lay.

Visitation will be held 1:30pm until a Celebration of Life Service to begin at 2:00pm Friday, December 2, 2022, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, with Msgr. Michael Reed celebrant.

The family wished to thank all of the wonderful doctors, nurses, and staff at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL for the exceptional care they gave ‘our Nivi’.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Nivia’s memory to St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 6451 Park Ave., Milton, FL 32570.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Obituaries