Biography:
Brenda Walker was born August 14, 1957 to the late Cassie Rivers in Emporia, Virginia. She was proudly raised in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of New York City, where she earned her diploma from Washington Irving High School in June of 1975.
After high school, Brenda attended Taylor Business School where she got her certification in Accounting. She enjoyed an 18-year career as a Senior Accounts Payable Clerk, where she held roles at prestigious companies such as Time Warner Inc., The New York Stock Exchange, and The New York Post.
Brenda was a foodie and her favorite cook was her oldest daughter. She loved chicken liver, and a good ole pot of neckbones and rice with a side of collard greens (hold the hot sauce).
Brenda had a love for music and movies. Smokey Robinson was one of her all-time favorite artists and she actually got to meet him in person. She especially loved music from the 70s, and her favorite song was “Darlin’, Darlin’ Baby” by the O’Jays. If you EVER watched “The Five Heartbeats” in her presence, it was like watching it on “Brenda’s Closed Captioning” as she recited EVERY line and adlib verbatim!
Most importantly, everyone that knew Brenda knew there was no greater love than that of her family. To be an only child, Brenda had more nieces and nephews than the US Census would allow. Brenda and her “Sister Cousin”, Deborah “Tee” Carey, together were the family historians and were the first sources of contact when you needed to fill in the Walker-Jones blanks. She looked forward to family gatherings and made sure to tell her loved ones how much they meant to her. We will always remember her laugh, her smile, and her sensitive personality.
Brenda leaves behind her daughters Shante Walker (Omar Gomez) and Cherelle Hamilton; Granddaughter Nia Gomez; Lifelong Partner Gordon Hamilton (Maurice/Samir/Rashawn); Eldest cousin Calvin Wright and a host of loving family members and friends that will miss her dearly.
Brenda was preceded in death by her “Brother Cousin” Kenneth Wright and her Sister-in-Laws Leona and Joandell.
