ST. LOUIS — Cora Faith Walker, a former state lawmaker and high-profile St. Louis County government leader, was remembered Friday at a memorial service not only for her wit and policy expertise but also her relentless energy, bright smile and unrivaled fashion sense.
Walker, the county’s chief policy officer and a fierce health care and reproductive rights advocate, died on the morning of March 11. She was 37. A cause of death has not been announced.
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and County Executive Sam Page were but two local elected officials and other dignitaries who packed Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church’s Youth Worship Center in north St. Louis to celebrate and honor Walker’s life and legacy with her husband, Tim, their families and friends.
Mayor Jones, a close personal friend, said Walker was “the embodiment†of her middle name — Faith — through her advocacy for those in need and her fierce support for her friends and family.
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“You saw the good in everyone even when they couldn’t see it in themselves,†Jones said, reading a personal letter to Walker. “You were fiercely loyal to your friends, even if they weren’t loyal to you.â€
The two met in 2015 at a bipartisan women’s working group in which they were the only Black women in the room, and formed a close friendship. Jones recalled their trips across the U.S., morning Peloton rides and policy discussions that included a healthy dose of “constructive criticism†for one another. The night before Walker died, she was with Jones at the mayor’s 50th birthday party.
“I never thought in a million years that I would be celebrating a milestone birthday with you one day and grieving your transition the next,†Jones said.
Over the years, Jones served as a mentor for Walker, calling her her “junior.†Walker called Jones “senior.â€
“Your smile could light a room,†Jones said. “You were feisty and constantly fought for what was right, just and true. You were my junior, and there will never be another one like you.â€
Page said Walker served as a voice for families, health care officials and people in need “in every conference room she was in and in every conversation.â€
At times, Walker could be impatient. But it “came from the heart,†Page said.
“She demanded people around her recognize the urgency of the tasks in front of them,†he said.
Walker “made all of St. Louis her office,†putting her in touch with nonprofits, schools, health care workers, activists and municipal leaders.
“Those friendships inform the policies that Cora brought to me,†Page said. “She made us all better.â€
Alisha Sonnier, a St. Louis Public Schools board member, said Walker had served as her mentor. She encouraged her friends and loved ones to continue Walker’s work.
“Today ... you can be sad, but tomorrow, we complete the mission,†Sonnier said. “Cora would want us to center her work, center her legacy and to continue the fight for social justice and equity.â€
Earlier Friday, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, remembered Walker on the floor of the House of Representatives.
“No matter the role she was called to serve in Cora was unwavering in her commitment to uplifting those around her,†Bush said. “Above all else, she always stood for what is right, for herself, for her loved ones, for her neighbors, for St. Louis and for Missouri. She has left an indelible mark on me, and on our district.â€
Cora Faith Walker was a one-of-a-kind leader.
— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori)
Above all else — she always stood up for what’s right. For herself, for her loved ones, for her neighbors, for St. Louis, and for Missouri.
Though we deeply mourn this painful loss, St. Louis and I celebrate her beautiful life.
Among other commemorations, members of both the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and the St. Louis County Council are expected to adopt resolutions honoring Walker when they reconvene. And in the Missouri Legislature, Rep. Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson, and Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, both sponsored letters honoring Walker.
Gov. Mike Parson said in a tweet Friday that Walker “will be remembered for her passionate advocacy for the St. Louis region and Missouri’s most vulnerable.â€
Walker, an attorney who specialized in health care policy, was elected to the Missouri House in November 2016 to represent parts of north St. Louis County including Ferguson. She was reelected in 2018.
Her focus in the Legislature was to promote access to health care and social support for women and families, fighting particularly to expand Medicaid across the state.
In 2019, she resigned from the Legislature to lead policy direction for Page’s administration and was, at the time, one of three top county staffers reporting directly to Page.
In that role, she helped guide the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the distribution of $173.5 million in federal aid for critical efforts including free meals, housing assistance and small business support.
Walker was also an outspoken defender of women’s reproductive rights, earning ringing endorsements from groups including NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Walker was pronounced dead March 11 at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital, after emergency medical responders transported her there from Loews Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
The St. Louis Medical Examiner found no signs of trauma or injury. A full report awaits the results of lab tests.
In Walker’s memory, her family has asked for donations to charities and organizations she supported: Nurses for Newborns, Jamaa Birth Village, Pro Choice Missouri, and the Veterans Community Project-St. Louis.
Originally posted at 5:15 p.m. Friday, March 18.