Emerald Wallace, 65, of Woodbridge, VA, passed away on October 9, 2021.
Emerald was born in Harlem, New York to William A. Wallace and Martha Wallace on September 18, 1956. She was the oldest of five girls born out of that union. Emerald completed her early education at Commander Shea Memorial School in East Harlem and later, attended Fashion Industries High School in Manhattan, NY. She continued her education at Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, NY. Later in life, she completed coursework as a massage therapist.
In her early years, Emerald was an avid basketball fan, cheering shamelessly for the NY Knicks. That love of team sports later transferred to football, where she was known to root for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1979, she became a mother to her son, Kyron William, followed by her daughter, Shakira Nicole, in 1984. Randy Cerrone and Kobe Latrell were welcomed into the family fold. They were the loves of her life.
For more than 20 years, Emerald held various positions in the telecommunications field, including AT&T and Verizon. Upon securing a position with AT&T, she and her children relocated to Alexandria, VA, in 1995. In April 2020, she retired from her position as a Business Analyst with Freddie Mac after 11 years.
Emerald’s hobbies included sewing, arts and crafts, and traveling domestically and abroad to such places as Dubai, Kuwait, Rome, and the Caribbean Islands. Emerald also loved gardening. She was the proud “plant mom” to numerous plants. During her retirement, Emerald spent her days nurturing her “plant babies,” and spending quality time with her biological and church families, among other activities.
But mostly, Emerald loved Jesus and was always willing to serve the Lord in any capacity to the best of her ability. She was an active member of Harvest Life Church for over 15 years. She served as a Senior Deaconess, a member of the Harvest Life Choir, Leadership, New Members and Women of Worship (WOW) ministries. Emerald will be remembered for her warm heart, caring spirit, and her infectious smile.
Emerald is preceded in death by her father, William A. Wallace and her nephew, Jemal Antoine Smith.
Emerald is survived by her mother: Martha Wallace-Johnson; her children: Kyron Geanes, Shakira Geanes, Randy “Cerrone” Geanes and Kobe Murphy; her four sisters: Carol Wallace, Joan Wallace, Francine Board and Linda Wallace-Archer; brothers in-law: Steven Board and Howard Archer; and a host of nieces, nephew, aunt, cousins, bonus children and extended family.
The family of Emerald Wallace wish to extend our sincere thanks to Harvest Life Church for your love, support, and generosity during this difficult time.
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