Loving, kind-hearted, sensitive, giving, thoughtful.
Since childhood, Sean was the type of person who always went above and beyond to help others. His capacity for kindness knew no bounds. He had a beautiful smile and a contagious laugh. Sean always wanted to help others and would often shoulder his own burdens, so as not to put them on anyone else. One example of his kindness is a story his mother, Rebecca, remembers fondly. “When he was eight years old, a girl in his class lost her mother and was getting bullied by the other kids so he lied and told her his parents had died too so they would leave her alone,” she recalled.
This thoughtfulness was a trait Sean exemplified in everything he did in life. He was always performing acts of kindness and helping people, even when he was living paycheck to paycheck. One day on his way to work, he saw a man that needed shoes and he pulled over and gave him the shoes off his feet. He made community with houseless folks, buying them lunch or giving them money if he could, and he would always go back and check on them. He frequently gave people his own lunch, lunch box and all.
Sean had a large family of three sisters, two brothers, and a mother and father that he loved dearly. He was especially close to his younger sister Beverly, who he cherished and protected fiercely. Once every few years his extended family would vacation somewhere like Disney, or the Outer Banks, and it would elate Sean to hang out with his cousins. Sean was never afraid to show his emotions. He loved hard and would cry unashamedly. He cried when he saw his sister in her wedding gown, and when he found out she was pregnant with his nephew Landon, who he adored.
Sean loved animals and children. Before his passing, he was married to the love of his life for six years and was looking forward to starting a family one day. Sean studied culinary arts and was passionate about cooking for the people he loved. He also enjoyed writing poetry and singing. He had a beautiful voice and was always down for karaoke. In 2019, Sean landed his dream job working at the Delaware Autism Program with disabled children. He had a penchant for working with the kids there and loved them as if they were his own.
After Sean’s death, his family started an organization called ‘Paying it forward in memory of Sean Walker,’ where you give a card to someone after performing an act of kindness and they keep passing it on. So far, they have tracked their cards in 49 states and to other countries. She believes in carrying on Sean’s legacy through this work. Becky also visits rehab facilities to talk about her son’s story, saying she underestimated the severity of his addiction because it was primarily alcohol and not hard drugs.
Sean’s mother, Rebecca, provided the information for this narrative.
March 21, 1988 – May 2, 2020-Age 32
Portrait Artist: Maia Palmer
Narrative Writer: Victoria Estes
