03/19/2026
Frances Jean Walker of Bridgeport, Alabama, transitioned peacefully on Friday, March 13, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia, surrounded by family. Her visitation will be Saturday 12-2 and the funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Valley Funeral Home in Stevenson, Alabama. Frances Jean Walker was born in Bridgeport, Alabama on November 11, 1933 to Carrie Bell Walker and George Gilliam. Jean grew up in the tight-knit community of Bridgeport, a small town that nurtured her curiosity and eventually her wanderlust. Raised by Carrie Bell — affectionately referred to as “Mother,” a respected matriarch of the community — and her husband, Q.T. Walker, Jean was the eldest child of seven, often caring for her younger siblings, Edith, Rosa, Fannie, Barbara Sue, Phyllis, Dorothy, and Arthur. When she was just a young girl, Jean met her lifelong friend, Juanita Poitier. Juanita’s grandmother, Mama Ella was another matriarch of Bridgeport's close community, and lived across the street. Juanita and Jean quickly developed a bond that would shape Jean's storied life. In 1951, Jean's daughter Constance was born, her proudest accomplishment. A few years later, Jean left Alabama to help Juanita with her growing family following her marriage to Sidney Poitier. Jean became an integral part of Juanita and Sidney’s family, traveling with them all over the world, including to Italy, France, Ethiopia, the Caribbean, often with her daughter Connie in tow. Sidney became godfather to Connie and, years later, to her son Michael, a through-line of love that connected three generations. The Poitier girls, Beverly, Pam, Sherri, and Gina, folded Jean and Connie into their hearts, giving Jean the nickname that would stay with her for the rest of her life: Mama Jean. Jean and Juanita would grow old together, so inseparable that those who loved them took to calling them “The Nanas.” In the 1970s Juanita founded Blue Heaven Farms in upstate New York, where Mama Jean taught classes and ran the kitchen, showcasing her incredible cooking skills with dishes like her famous caramel cake and fried chicken. Strict, loving, and kind, Mama Jean once again became a mother figure—this time for teens seeking refuge from the inner city. Mama Jean's kindness and wisdom were among her most defining traits. She was not only a joy, often greeting loved ones with an uplifting, “Hi, baby” but a comfort to friends, family, and those fortunate enough to cross her path. Jean loved the arts, especially crocheting, and often created beautiful handmade pieces for the people she loved. In her later years, she turned to mosaic work, bringing the same care and creativity to everything she touched. Mama Jean passed away peacefully on March 13, 2026. She was 92. She is survived by her grandson Michael B. Jordan and his wife Jacinta; her great-granddaughter Sienna Sky Jordan; her remaining siblings Fannie Henry, Barbara Sue Goldston, and Phyllis Kelly; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Constance Jordan Wilson; her sisters Edith Walker and Rosa Walker; her sister Dorothy Blair; and her brother Arthur Walker Sr.
