Sylvia Manjarrez Walker

September 1, 1940 - December 12, 2022

Sylvia was born in Chicago, Illinois, but found her true home in San Francisco.

Her grandparents moved to Chicago with their children from Mexico and Texas in the 1920s. Her parents, Ruben Manjarrez and Maria de la Concepcion Martinez had four children, of whom Sylvia was the eldest. Sylvia thrived as a student at Proviso High School in Maywood, Illinois, class of 1958. In her senior year she was one of eight Girl Scouts selected to represent the United States at an international jamboree in Athens, Greece. In 1962, Sylvia graduated from Bradley University, where she majored in International Studies and was active in the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. She earned a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, in 1963. She joined the U.S. Department of State in 1964 and received her first assignment as Vice Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain.

In Madrid, Sylvia met Charles (Chuck) Walker, a fellow Foreign Service Officer, originally from Mill Valley, California. They were married in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 1967. They settled in San Francisco, residing first in the Mission District, where they welcomed the birth of twin daughters. After the birth of another daughter, they moved permanently to the Richmond District, where two more daughters were born. Sylvia completed courses in child development at San Francisco Community College to become a certified teacher (and later Vice-Principal) at the Pine Church Nursery School, the parent-run co-op that her daughters attended. Along with Chuck, she was a member of the Food Conspiracy in the 1970s, hosting gatherings of the independent grocery co-op in their Richmond District garage.

Her five daughters are products of San Francisco public schools, and she was a dedicated public education advocate and leader, serving as President of the San Francisco PTA and President of the San Francisco School Volunteers. She believed that all children should have access to educational opportunity. Long after her own children graduated from Lowell High School, she continued to volunteer in the school’s college counseling center, supporting students in realizing their full potential.

Sylvia worked for many years in support of the San Francisco Youth Arts Festival and for over a decade in the Visual and Performing Arts Department of the San Francisco Unified School District. Upon retirement in 2012, she received a Young at Art Honorary Service Award and a Public Service in Education Award. She also served for many years in the San Francisco Ballet Company volunteer corps, BRAVO. Along with her husband, she was a dedicated member of St. Ignatius Parish.

Sylvia is remembered for her wit, strong convictions, and generous spirit. She loved symphony and ballet performances, museum exhibitions and walks in Golden Gate Park, views of the Marin Headlands and sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. She made her neighbors her friends, and her friends her family. She always found space for one more chair at the table.

Sylvia is survived by her husband; daughters and sons-in-law, Samantha Craig (Douglas) of Great Malvern, United Kingdom, Arabella Cureton (James) of San Francisco, CA, Amanda Bealer (Brian) of Pottstown, PA, Alicia Walker (Eduardo Martinez) of Bryn Mawr, PA, and Ashley Walker (Chams Eddin) of Alexandria,

VA; eight grandchildren; siblings, David Manjarrez (Linda), Kenneth Manjarrez (Ann), and Alicia Manjarrez; and her sister-in-law, Mary Ann Dillon.

Sylvia was interred at Fernwood Cemetery, Mill Valley, in a private service. A memorial mass, open to all, will be held on Monday, April 3, 2023, 11am at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, 650 Parker Avenue, San Francisco. In lieu of flowers, Sylvia’s family requests that those wishing to pay tribute to her memory donate to the “Sylvia Manjarrez Walker Memorial Scholarship Fund” hosted by the Lowell Alumni Association (http://SMWalkerMemorialScholarship.org).