Sharree Rose Walls was born on June 23rd 1991 in Rolling Meadows, IL to Cardies Walls and Lois Benjamin Walls. She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL with her sister Dana Walls and graduated from Willowbrook High School in 2009.
Sharree attended the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) where she majored in Urban Studies and graduated Magna Cum Laude. During her tenure at UPenn, she interned at BET in New York City and studied abroad at the Universidade Federal da Bahia in San Salvador Brazil where her studies included Brazilian Culture and Portuguese. Sharree was said to read, write and speak Portuguese so fluently that the locals thought she was from there. Also while at UPenn, Sharree became a member of the Gamma Epsilon chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Upon her graduation from UPenn in 2013, Sharree arrived in New Orleans after accepting the Fox Alumni Research and Service Fellowship. She went on to become the Director of Operations and Communications at the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Inc. where she worked her way up to a position leading Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans as their first Executive Director, all while maintaining her startup business, Solace.Space, LLC, an online home decor company. Sharree was an involved member of the YMCA Gen-Y Board, CAC, Friends of Lafitte Greenway, the Penn Club of Louisiana, Starting Bloc, the Penn Alumni Group and Makuu Black Cultural Center. Most importantly she was a devoted daughter, sister, family member and friend.
Sharree is survived by her father, Cardies Walls (Spouse, Robbie), mother, Lois Benjamin (Spouse, Harold), sister, Dana Walls, niece, Mariah Nicole and nephew, Ace Jeremiah. She is also survived by her grandfather, Chris Walls, grandmother, Ottie Marie Foxworth Walls, step-grandmother Dorothy Williams as well as a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, step-brothers and sisters, other relatives and friends. Though Sharree's life was cut short, she made the best of her time here, and left a lasting legacy to the city of New Orleans and everywhere she lived and everyone she touched.
A funeral will be held at St. Peter Claver Church, 1923 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 on Monday, March 11, 2019 at 11 AM. Interment Mount Olivet Cemetery. Visitation 9 AM TO 10:30 AM IN THE CHURCH. A wake service will be held in the Chapel of the Roses of Charbonnet Labat Glapion Funeral Home, 1615 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 on Sunday, March 10, 2019 from 3 PM TO 5 PM IN THE CHAPEL. Charbonnet Labat Glapion, Directors (504)581-4411
Please sign online guestbook @charbonnetfuneralhome.com
Published in
The Times-Picayune
on Mar. 8, 2019
