Sara, Mark and Johnny Walker: July 4, 2025

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Sara, Mark & Johnny Walker of Kentfield, CA on July 4th, 2025. They were together in their river home in Hunt, TX when the intense floods of the Guadalupe River destroyed their home and took their lives all too soon.

Sara was a loving wife, devoted mother, dear daughter and beloved friend. Throughout her life, others were drawn to Sara because of her authenticity, humor, loyalty and approachability. Sara was the glue- the connector of people- in every chapter of her life. Sara Elizabeth Sharkey Walker, an only child, was born in Houston, Texas on August 27, 1974, and moved to Austin with her parents in 1978.

Sara attended Good Shepherd Episcopal School, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Hyde Park Baptist School and graduated in 1993 from Stephen F. Austin High School. Attending church at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, and spending 8 magical summers at Camp Waldemar in Hunt, Texas helped shape Sara into the kind woman that she became. Sara attended The University of Texas at Austin, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Communications in 1997, Sara worked as a corporate event planner and manager in Austin. It was at each of these places that Sara collected lifelong friends, which she cherished and nurtured always.

Mark was a caring husband, loyal brother, beloved son and adoring father. Mark was magnanimous, bringing a magical combination of levity and warmth with him into every encounter. Mark Clifford Walker, born March 18th, 1974, was born in San Francisco and attended Ross School before attending San Francisco University High School. He graduated University as one of the greatest scholar-athletes to ever attend, earning 12 varsity letters starring on the Men’s Soccer, Basketball & Baseball teams all while excelling in the classroom. He went on to Stanford University where he was a stalwart of the soccer team and walked on and earned a spot on the Baseball team as a pitcher. A proud member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Mark realized one of his greatest gifts, bringing people together and creating community. Upon graduating early from Stanford University with an honors degree in Political Science, Mark worked for Research Magazine and then RealBeer.Com. In 2002, Mark moved to Austin, Texas to attend the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, where he obtained his MBA in Finance & Real Estate Finance with honors. He went to work for Glenborough Realty briefly before going on to become the Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Investments in his 15 years at Digital Realty. After leaving Digital, he assumed current position as Chief Investment Officer at Global Compute Infrastructure. Mark, an avid golfer, was a member of the Meadow Club in Fairfax, CA. Mark was a staunch supporter of Ellie, coaching her soccer and basketball teams and cheering loudly from the sidelines as she competed for The Marin Football Club, Marin Catholic Soccer & Field Hockey. He was deeply involved as a coach of Johnny’s teams in Ross Valley Little League and Saint Sebastian’s CYO basketball team. Mark’s positive impact on the young people in the community will be felt for many years to come.

Johnny was a gifted athlete, a treasured brother, cherished son and grandson, and best friend to many. Even though Johnny was a fierce competitor on the field and the court, he was also a gentle and empathetic soul. Johnny was sweet, funny, compassionate and happy. John Clifford Walker was born on April 11th, 2011, in San Francisco, CA. He attended Bacich Elementary School and recently graduated from A.E. Kent Middle School. Johnny was set to begin high school at Marin Catholic and had recently told his big sister how excited he was to be at school with her. He was eagerly awaiting the start of football practice and furthering his academic pursuits.

During his childhood, Johnny enjoyed five fun and adventurous summers at Camp La Junta in Hunt, TX. Johnny was recently confirmed at St John’s Episcopal Church where he shared a favorite Bible Verse–Joshua 1:9–during his reflection. Even at the young age of 14, it was clear that Johnny’s spiritual journey was a priority, and he could always be found wearing his silver cross necklace. Because of his servant’s heart, Johnny was looking forward to serving the community alongside his mother through the National League of Young Men. Johnny was a standout athlete in baseball, football and basketball. He also loved to play golf and to fish, especially on the Guadalupe River in Hunt, TX.

Sara and Mark met through a mutual friend in Austin while Mark was attending UT Business School. On November 5, 2005, they were married and were excited to begin their married life together in California. Parenting Johnny and Ellie was the greatest joy of their lives. They could often be found coaching on the sidelines or cheering in the stands. Throughout the course of their lives, Sara and Mark prioritized raising a close family and raised their children to know and love God. The family enjoyed quality time during their travels to Lake Tahoe and to their river house. In addition to family relationships, friendships were always paramount to both Sara and Mark. Thanks to Sara and Mark’s natural gifts for making friends easily, they established a tight loving community in Marin. They also shared their time and treasures to serve the community through the Junior League of San Francisco, the Marin Charitable Board, and Kentfield Invests in Kids.

Sara, Mark & Johnny are survived by their daughter and sister, Ellie Walker, 16, who is surrounded by tremendous love and support from friends and family; Sara’s mother Carolyn Bell Sharkey of Austin, Texas; Mark’s mother Katherine Christensen Walker of San Rafael, California; Mark’s brother, Tyler Walker and his wife Maria and their two children Ralph and Grace; Mark’s sister Laura Pellissier of Sacramento, California. Sara, Mark and Johnny are also survived by aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, godchildren and numerous dear friends.

Sara, Mark and Johnny are predeceased by Sara’s father, John Howard Sharkey; Sara’s grandparents, Ruth Ryan Bell and Harvey Carroll Bell, Jr. (Dulie) and Geraldine and James Sharkey; Mark’s father, Ralph Clifford Walker and Mark’s grandparents Elsie Christensen, Edward Christensen, Dorothy Walker, and Clifford Walker.

The Sharkey and Walker families greatly appreciate the tremendous support they have received from friends and family. Additionally, the family would like to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of the first responders, law enforcement, and volunteers in Texas following the devastating floods in Kerr County. A special thank you to the Texas Rangers, whose tireless dedication and compassion for the families of the victims was nothing short of heroic and will never be forgotten by the Sharkey & Walker families.

The lives of Sara, Mark and Johnny Walker will be remembered and celebrated on August 7th, 2025, at a private family memorial in Marin County, California and at an additional service at 3:00 PM CDT, at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and Westwood Country Club in Austin, TX on September 5th, 2025, further details will be provided.

For those who would like to honor this special family, please consider a contribution to the Ellie Bell Walker Charitable Trust that will be created for Ellie to decide where funds are best allocated. More details will be provided at a later date.