Dressed in forest-green satin, mezzo-soprano Sandra Walker whipped across the War Memorial Opera House stage, giving voice to the anguish of the warrior woman Bradamante. It is 1989 — the first and only time San Francisco Opera has staged Antonio Vivaldi’s opera “Orlando Furioso,” a tale of knighthood, jealousy and enchantment. Act 1 ends with Bradamante finding her lover Ruggiero wrapped in the arms of a sorceress, his love for Bradamante all but erased by the power of enchantment. Walker’s performance that night would be immortalized — recorded and distributed on DVD and VHS for generations to see, an indelible part of San Francisco Opera history. Walker passed away last week, on August 3, after a career that spanned two decades and 10 productions on the War Memorial Opera House stage. It all began in 1972 with a starring role in Richard Wagner’s “Ring” cycle. Walker would play both a valkyrie and a Rhinemaiden, one of the water nymphs whose song opens and closes the four-part opera series. She would return for another “Ring” cycle 18 years later. And across that time, she would star in operas like “Madame Butterfly,” “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” and “Eugene Onegin.” “Sandra Walker sang and played a refreshingly young, ardent ‘Lene,’ her mezzo-soprano full of life and temperament,” the San Francisco Chronicle raved of her role in “Die Meistersinger.” Of her outing as the sister Olga in “Eugene Onegin,” the Chronicle hailed Walker as “jolly,” effectively communicating her character’s frivolous nature while adding her rich, low voice to the vocal mix. Walker’s final role at San Francisco Opera would come in 1992, when she starred as Hedwige, the long-suffering wife of the title character in “William Tell.” We take a moment to honor Walker’s memory — and remember the beauty she brought to our stage. (📸: Ron Scherl for 1989's "Orlando Furioso;" Ron Scherl for 1986's "Eugene Onegin;" and Marty Sohl for 1992's "William Tell)