Sherrod moore and marilyn wilson

Back when Shemar Moore was growing up, he felt weighed down by a lot of existential questions.

An only child born in Oakland, Calif., to mother Marilyn Wilson-Moore, who was White, and father Sherrod Moore, who was Black, the S.W.A.T. star, 54, recalls pondering as kid, "'Am I Brown enough? Am I Black enough? Do I walk the walk? I'll never be White because I'm too Brown. How should I talk? How should I move? How should I dress? Where do I fit in?' "

For much of his early life Moore was raised overseas by his mother, an educator, after she and his dad, an Army vet, split up. "When I was six months old, we left the country. My father ran with the Black Panthers. He had a purpose, a positive purpose that he believed in, but it didn't keep him out of trouble," he explains.

Shemar Moore Reveals How His Mother's Death Changed His Life and Helped Him Become a Dad: 'Wow, I Was Selfish' (Exclusive)

Moore continues, "He was a very dark-skinned Black man and he caught a lot of heat for that. He got called the N-word a lot. And then he got with this White woman with this big ol' butt. But she also had a big ol' brain," he says of his mom.

Back when his parents met in the '60s, "Interracial relationships were trendy but they weren't accepted," he says. "There was a lot of racial tension and my mother didn't want to raise me in that. She got a job in Denmark and we left."

Though his father made visits the first few years, "he showed out a little too much for my mother's liking and she said, 'Enough is enough.' He came back to the States, got in trouble, and spent four years in San Quentin prison."

Moore and his mom bounced around the globe, from Denmark to Bahrain, Ghana to Greece. "Nothing about my life was ordinary," he says. But when they returned to the

Of Redondo Beach, CA, suddenly on February 8, 2020. Formerly of Brighton, MA, Marilyn was the daughter of the late Herbert and Marie Wilson of Brighton, MA. She was the loving mother of Shemar F. Moore of Los Angeles, CA. Marilyn was the cherished sister of Stephen Wilson (Jean) of W. Roxbury.

Marilyn was a special aunt to her nephew, Mark Townsend (Tracy) of W. Roxbury, her niece Lindsey Van Dam (Mark) of W. Roxbury and her nephew Daniel (Katelyn) of Braintree . 

Marilyn also loved and was loved by her Great nieces and nephews, Rob, Will and Maddie Townsend, Joe, Natalie, Elizabeth and Jackie Van Dam, Brendan Wilson and Gabriel and Eliana Artiga-Merchant.

Marilyn loved her family, her friends (she had many), good food and drink, the ocean and listening to jazz. Above all Marilyn loved helping people. Marilyn is already being missed by her many friends on both the east and the west coast.

Visiting hours on Sunday, February 16th from Noon to 3 pm at the Lehman, Reen & McNamara Funeral Home, 63 Chestnut Hill Ave., Brighton MA.  Remembrances and Prayers to follow at 3pm.  

Marilyn was proud to have taught math in the Boston Public School system. She retired from the International Business division of Hewlett - Packard.

In lieu of flowers kindly send donations to The National MS Society, 101A First St., Waltham, MA  02451

Burial will be private.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Marilyn Wilson-Moore, please visit our Tree Store.

Back when Shemar Moore was growing up, he felt weighed down by a lot of existential questions.

An only child born in Oakland, Calif., to mother Marilyn Wilson-Moore, who was White, and father Sherrod Moore, who was Black, the S.W.A.T. star, 54, recalls pondering as kid, "'Am I Brown enough? Am I Black enough? Do I walk the walk? I'll never be White because I'm too Brown. How should I talk? How should I move? How should I dress? Where do I fit in?' "

For much of his early life Moore was raised overseas by his mother, an educator, after she and his dad, an Army vet, split up. "When I was six months old, we left the country. My father ran with the Black Panthers. He had a purpose, a positive purpose that he believed in, but it didn't keep him out of trouble," he explains.

Related: Shemar Moore Reveals How His Mother's Death Changed His Life and Helped Him Become a Dad: 'Wow, I Was Selfish' (Exclusive)

Moore continues, "He was a very dark-skinned Black man and he caught a lot of heat for that. He got called the N-word a lot. And then he got with this White woman with this big ol' butt. But she also had a big ol' brain," he says of his mom.

Back when his parents met in the '60s, "Interracial relationships were trendy but they weren't accepted," he says. "There was a lot of racial tension and my mother didn't want to raise me in that. She got a job in Denmark and we left."

Though his father made visits the first few years, "he showed out a little too much for my mother's liking and she said, 'Enough is enough.' He came back to the States, got in trouble, and spent four years in San Quentin prison."

Moore and his mom bounced around the globe, from Denmark to Bahrain, Ghana to Greece. "Nothing about my life was ordinary," he says. But when they returned to the U.S. when he was a little older, he felt the pressure to conform.