Roxane Gatling Gilmore, a double Hoo and career teacher who became first lady of Virginia and influenced education policy in the state, died Aug. 7 and was buried Saturday in Henrico County. She was 70.
Gilmore earned her bachelor’s degree in history, classics and anthropology and a master’s degree in ancient history at the University of Virginia. As a student, she was a member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society and a resident of the West Range.
“At Roxane’s core was a love for the University,” Larry Sabato, director of the UVA Center for Politics, said. “She and Jim met here, and both of their sons received undergraduate degrees from UVA.”
“Jim” is Jim Gilmore, who went on to serve as Virginia’s governor from 1998 to 2002. During her term as first lady, Roxane Gilmore oversaw an extensive restoration of the historic governor’s mansion.
“Virginia’s iconic Executive Mansion will always have her legacy,” current Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said. “All of us who know the Gilmores appreciate the love, strong support and counsel she provided the governor throughout his impactful career in public service.”
Roxanne Gilmore was a teacher in Henrico and Chesterfield counties, and later a professor at Randolph Macon College in Ashland. “Roxane worked with the Virginia Department of Education to promote the Standards of Learning by creating an internet clearinghouse of resources for teachers, parents, students and the business world,” Youngkin said.
As Virginia’s first lady, Roxane Gilmore was the first to maintain her career while her husband occupied the governor’s office, Sabato said. “What I remember most was her determination to continue her college teaching, even while doing everything else on her plate,” he added. “She loved the interaction with her students, and the opportunities her classes brought to keep in touch with a younger generation.”
Roxane Gilmore is survived by her husband and sons Jay and Ashton Gilmore; a sister, Mary Jane Black; a brother, Lloyd Gatling; and her granddaughter, Genevieve.
She died one day after the Gilmores celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary.
