Leonard Walker
A Memorial 4 Leonard
By Andrew Wadsworth at San Quentin
When I was asked by a friend to write a letter to a friend that passed away during this Covid-19 pandemic, I thought of you Len. I miss your laugh and jokes in the morning. I even miss arguing with you, because you showed passion and emotion. Even though God has brought you back home to heaven, your memories are still with us up here in San Quentin, Prayers go out to you and your family and friends. Thank you for a true friendship. Thank you, for coming to my aide when I needed you.
Much love,
Andrew Wadsworth
From Mourning Our Losses:
While incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison in California, Leonard Walker sang with San Quentin’s Protestant Choir. He believed in restorative justice, and he encouraged those around him to participate in processes of reconciliation and healing. In 2016, Rahsaan Thomas wrote an article about a Restorative Justice Symposium at San Quentin. Walker was in the audience, and said, “Restorative Justice is powerful; y'all better stay with it.”
This part of the memorial was written by MOL team member Abby Steckel with information from Rahsaan Thomas and Juan Haines of the San Quentin News.
A Death of a Friend
By Jerry R. Gearin
I was very surprised to hear my friend Leonard Walker died from COVID-19, here at San Quentin State Prison. I learned about his passing when I returned from the hospital after my own battle with the virus. Me and Leonard we’re from Richmond, CA., we never crossed each other’s path on the outside, but we knew a lot of the same people.
We would reminisce about the past whenever we met. We sometimes sat in the baseball dugout, but mostly we sat on the cement foundation of the Addiction Recovery building on the exercise yard. He knew almost everything about the city of Richmond. He knew where all the old motorcycle clubs were, all the old supermarkets that do not exist today, he had a lot of knowledge about the city of Richmond. Leonard and my eldest cousin Gary were old friends, every time he saw me, he would ask about Gary. Leonard was a O.G., an Elder in our community.
He loved sports, the Oakland A’s was his favorite baseball team, and the Oakland Raiders was his favorite Football team. If I wanted to know about any statistics from a previous game, I could count on Leonard. He kept track of the sports world by listening to his radio, 95.7 The Game, the Bay Area’s favorite sports broadcasting station. There was not a time he did not have some type of snack to go with the sports conversation, popcorn, and potato chips, was the normal food item.
My Football team is the San Francisco 49ers; he was not a fan of them. We had our disagreements concerning sports analysis and how our teams were going to win, but we debated with dignity and respect. We loved those Golden State Warriors; his face would light up whenever they would win, especially during their championship runs. He was not alive to see the 2021 season, in which the Dubs was plagued with injuries. Although Leonard is not with us, I still can see his smile whenever Steph Curry makes an unbelievable three point shot, or Draymond Green makes a jaw-dropping pass.
Twenty-eight incarcerated people and one Correctional Sergeant died from COVID-19 at San Quentin. All these deaths were preventable; my friend left us too soon. How can we heal from such devastating losses? Do we pick up where we left off, or do we start over.
Rest in Peace Leonard, God has seen all the good you have done in this world, much love and respect.
Leonard Walker
By his good friend, Leonard Walker
My name is Leonard Walker and I’m writing this piece for my good friend Leonard Walker. We met each other in Solano State Prison in 2007. A female friend had sent me $50 and the mail room gave it to the trust account office. The trust account put it on Leonard’s account and sent him the envelopes. After Leonard spent the money he told me what had transpired and told how I could still retrieve my money, because prior to my knowledge that he had received the money, I gave my female friend hell calling her a liar and the worse thing after a liar is a thief. So I had to apologize to her and make it right.
Now since I was the plumber for the 1 and 2 yards in Solano, I was able to kick it with Leonard every time I came to their yard. He was on the 2 yard. And after I left Solano I think it was 2009, I thought the next time I would see him was when we got out of prison. Now and behold the CDCR started realigning people and I was on the top of their list; they took off our closed custody and sent us to San Quentin. Now I was happy as hell because that’s truly my backyard. When I got here the very first person I see was Leonard Walker standing at the gate between the yard and RR. To make a long story short, went got my property and was able to settle in. We met up on the yard for NA and almost every one he knew he would say [illegible] let me see your I.D. and show them his and mine at the same time. I never would thought in a million years that we would lose my brother so soon. We had plans on hooking up outside these walls and go motorcycle riding together. We had so much in common. Our people is from Louisiana so I tell him my Dad was at his house first and we use to laugh. I truly miss my brother from another mother and father.
Rest in peace Leonard.
May God Bless your soul.
Leonard Walker
By Nate C.
Leonard was my o.g. homeboy from Richmond. I met him when he got to S.Q. years ago and he was always the same quiet with a wealth of knowledge, he would always share his wealth of knowledge about are city and what we could do to make things better in Richmond. Leonard was not only respected by those from Richmond but from everyone who knew him. He was instrumental in bringing our city together during the days of the Richmond project.
Transcribed by Caroline Harlow.