She Was Kind and Gracious. Former Virginia First Lady Roxane Gilmore Passes Away (1954-2024)
All of us here at Bearing Drift offer our sincerest condolences to former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore and his sons, Jay and Ashton, at the death of his wife and their mom, Roxane Gilmore.
“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” – Irish Proverb
Roxane Gilmore at the 2016 RPV Convention at James Madison University. (Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell)
Roxane Gatling Gilmore Obituary
Roxane Gatling Gilmore, First Lady of Virginia from 1998-2002 died in Richmond on August 7, 2024, the day following her 47th marriage anniversary to Jim Gilmore, former Governor of Virginia. Roxane was born on June 17, 1954 in Suffolk, Virginia. She attended Suffolk High School and earned her B.A. degree at the University of Virginia in classics and anthropology, and her Master’s degree in Ancient History. She was a teacher throughout her life, teaching in the public schools in Henrico and Chesterfield. She taught for many years as an assistant professor at Randolph Macon College, teaching Latin, Women in Ancient Literature, Roman History, Greek History, Epic Poetry, and Roman Britain.
Roxane is best known for her leadership in restoring Virginia’s Governor’s mansion, maintaining its historic preservation while making the house a modern place to reside, work, and present to the public. As First Lady, Roxane created a “Commonwealth of Knowledge” web page for educators. While First Lady, Roxane participated in Archeological work at Jamestown and other historical sites.
Roxane traveled the world, including China, and Britain, and was in residence at the U.S. Embassy to OSCE in Vienna, Austria. She was most proud of her work with Conexus for Children’s Vision, helping to provide eye examinations and glasses to children in public schools.
Roxane was a devoted wife to Jim and mother of her two sons, Jay Gilmore (Meghan) and Ashton Gilmore (Cat). She is also survived by a sister, Mary Jane Black (Jerry) and brother, Lloyd Gatling (Judy) and her granddaughter, Genevieve. She was a friend to many.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, August 16, 2024 at Bliley’s – Central, 3801 Augusta Ave. Her funeral ceremony will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, 2024 at River Road Methodist Church, 8800 River Rd., Henrico, VA. A reception will follow the ceremony at the Commonwealth Club. Interment will be private at a later date at Westhampton Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for contributions to Conexus for Children’s Vision, Richmond SPCA, or the Cancer Center at the University of Virginia.
See also:
–Richmond Times-Dispatch: Roxane Gilmore, former Virginia first lady and classics professor, dies at 70 by Jeff Schapiro with a great archive of photos from over the years
-WTVR TV-6: Remembering former Virginia First Lady Roxane Gilmore, with more photos
–Bearing Drift: 2016 RPV Convention at JMU by Lynn R. Mitchell
-Bearing Drift: My Nominee to Replace Helen Dragas on the UVA Board of Visitors by Rick Sincere
