09/19/2024
My heart is broken by the loss of a long time friend. Lanita Khalil (Walker) passed away Monday. I met Lanita and the Walker family when they moved to Gulfport in the 1970s. They bought a house just 4 houses up from our family home on Ruth Avenue when I was in elementary school. Lanita was a classmate and her two younger brothers Jake and David and I would often play together. Her parents are salt of the earth awesome people. Our neighborhood was very close knit. We all looked out for each other. Sometimes we kids would have spats like brothers and sisters do. But we were a lot like family.
Lanita was a beautiful girl and grew to be a lovely lady inside and out. Just like her mom, Miss Wanita. I admired her because she was so dang smart in school. At West Junior High she was voted a class favorite.
Although I haven’t seen Lanita in person in years, we followed each other and stayed in touch on Facebook.
My heart breaks for her family, her husband and all her friends. May God rest her beautiful spirit. May God’s love, strength and comfort be with those who now have to endure this loss.
