Sybil Lorane Walker Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

On April 29, 2020 in Mesa, Arizona, the symphony that was Sybil Walker’s life reached its conclusion. Only after the siege of ailments wracking her body was joined by COVID-19 pneumonia did she concede. Both a warrior and a peacemaker at heart, she did not fear this transition from mortality; her testimony as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints allowed her to see death as part of her eternal progression. Her departure was accompanied by the loving words and songs of her adoring family. This family includes devoted husband Leif, siblings Boyd (deceased), Sue, Judy, Beverly, and Julie, children Natalie, Kimberly, Loralee, Beverly, Melanie, and Michael, two dozen grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. Sybil was born at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Her parents Julia and Orson Rollins raised her in rural Mesa, where she enjoyed a vibrant social life. She graduated from Mesa High School. Passionate about learning, she attended both Arizona State University and Brigham Young University. While enrolled at BYU she met Leif Walker, and after a whirlwind romance, they were married for time and all eternity. She lived with her husband briefly in Utah, then in Los Angeles, California for 5 years where she worked at Sav-On Drugs. After relocating to Tempe, Arizona, Sybil took on the high calling of motherhood, which she eventually continued in Mesa, Arizona. She was an incredibly kind and empathetic mother to her six children, in whom she instilled her characteristic love of the written word, music, art, learning, and creativity of all forms. Later she established her beloved mountain home in Heber, AZ. This was both a joyful family gathering place and a retreat that provided her solitude and relief from the valley heat and turmoil. Sybil was a voracious reader and a prolific writer of prose, poetry, and stage plays. She was a versatile composer whose creations included Christian music, country, pop, comedy, and more. Sybil was confident, socially adept, and inspired, and she applied her talents in her community. She composed songs for church events. She wrote, directed, and produced many stage plays, musical recitals, comedy shows, pageants, and other events. She was a well-known contributor to her community’s performing arts scene. She also shared her light and knowledge as a substitute teacher and by establishing a school of performing arts in Mesa. Some of the more tangible outlets of Sybil’s creativity included cooking, sewing, ceramic crafts, wood crafts, photography, arranging flowers, painting, and gardening. Sybil reveled in her family gatherings and activities. She would organize impromptu performances, letting the children select from her well-stocked attic full of stage-worthy costumes, musical instruments, and sound equipment. She would pit her descendants against each other in fierce cooking contests. She would spend months or even years planning and preparing for family reunions and holidays. Sybil did things big and all-out; even the day-to-day family dinners she cooked would always have several different entrees and side dishes. No child or grandchild received a simple Christmas or birthday gift – they got a shower of gifts. She refused to be simple or minimal. She celebrated abundance. The day was never long enough for Sybil, and in the night her mind often crackled with brilliance. Midnight scrabble tournaments, movie marathons, and all-night philosophical or spiritual discussions were some of her favorite bonding experiences. She was a consummate overachiever who fought against overwhelming odds to stay on this Earth for as long as she did, not out of anything so small as fear; Sybil didn’t entertain small thoughts. She fought because there was always one more story to tell, one more laugh to share, one more grandbaby to hold, one more movement to the symphony of her life. Sybil takes a rest at last, but the echoes of her creation will continue forever. Sybil Walker’s graveside memorial will be streamed live on Tuesday, May 5 at 9:00 AM at http://walkerstop.com/sybilwalkerstream.html

Sybil Lorane Walker

November 15, 1941 - April 29, 2020