Clarece P. Thame, 73, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away peacefully on September 27, 2025. The youngest of Leona and Eugene Walker, Sr.’s five children, “Rece”, as they called her, accepted Christ into her life at a young age at Salem Baptist Church in her hometown of Greensboro, Alabama.
Clarece’s mischievous streak–something she never lost–made her bold and brave and built for good trouble. As a young teenager, she was arrested while demonstrating for Civil Rights. She was one of the first to integrate the high school in her hometown, endured harassment, and still graduated with honors in 1970. After a stint at the University of Alabama, she transferred to the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she graduated with a degree in accounting.
In 1978, she married Barrington Thame and welcomed their daughter, Jennifer. Less than two years later, Barrington passed away.
Her career included working for NASA, the Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC), and Panasonic Corporation. While at ATTC, she was part of a small team which developed the standards for HD television in the United States. The ATTC team won the 2008 Emmy Award for Technology and Engineering for their contribution to the standardization of the ASTC Digital System.
Clarece’s eyes glistened like stars from the night sky when she laughed and when she was up to no good, a trait she shares with her four siblings, with whom she spoke on a group call every Saturday morning. Clarece and her oldest sister were notorious for cheating at baby shower games. When she had a good hand and a good partner in Spades or Hearts, she could barely suppress her glee. One of her family’s greatest puzzlements was how she could rewatch the same episodes of NCIS but still be surprised by whodunit. She couldn’t carry a tune to save her life, but she knew the lyrics to every song at church and otherwise. And she loved to dance!
Clarece enjoyed traveling, especially to spend Thanksgiving with family. Some of her favorite trips were to Australia, Brazil, San Francisco, helicoptering over the Grand Canyon, and cruising the Caribbean.
In the D.C. area, Clarece found family in the form of countless friends who she loved like sisters and brothers. She embraced Jen’s friends as her own children, and when Jen brought Eric around, she gained a son and loved him to the moon and back. But everyone else got swept into second place when her grandchildren, London and David came along. She had no greater joy than being their Yami (Grandma).
Faith grounded Clarece. She was a member of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., before joining Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA.
Clarece was predeceased by her loving husband, Barrington R. Thame (1980). She’s survived by her beloved daughter, Jennifer Steiner (Eric) of Alexandria, VA, and her favorite two people, granddaughter London and grandson David; along with her siblings Marjorie Bowens of Clarkston, MI, Mary Fuqua of Detroit, MI, Azalene Johnson (Lonnie) of Louisville, KY, and Eugene Walker, Jr. of Greensboro, AL; stepson Jerin Wall-Thame of Largo, MD; and a host of nieces and nephews, close relatives and friends.
Clarece’s Celebration of Life service was held on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia.
