Occasionally, indeed rarely, someone is at the right place, at the right time, and with the right ability to make historic change happen. One such instance came from 1998 until 2002 when Roxanne Gilmore served as First Lady of the Commonwealth of Virginia during the administration of her husband, Governor Jim Gilmore.
Roxanne was a native of Suffolk and a graduate of the University of Virginia, where she studied history and classics, and where she later received a Master of Arts in ancient history. After having started her academic career as public school teacher, she accepted appointment to the faculty of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, where she taught a variety of classes in classical languages, literature and history.
With her classical academic background, upon moving into the Virginia Executive Mansion in 1998, Roxanne took charge of the long-planned restoration of the building to its historic origins, while tastefully introducing modern conveniences. In that role she was ubiquitous in overseeing every detail throughout the process.
Initially, she formed a board of interested citizens, appointed by the governor, from across the Commonwealth to assist with and oversee the process, which included raising private funding for some of the projects involved. The task also included moving her family to other quarters while the construction was underway.
Previously, First Lady Jeannie Baliles had overseen the restoration of the neoclassical medallions on the façade of the Mansion, thereby restoring the original perspective of the house which was built in 1813 and is the oldest continuously occupied governor’s residence in the United States.
Roxanne wanted to see the building reflect as accurately as possible the architectural and decorative concepts of its builders and early residents, along with showing the important features added across the course of the then nearly two centuries since it was built.
Among those was the Gillette Garden, the work of Charles Gillette, one of the most noted American landscape architects, who was based in Richmond. The garden project was undertaken by the Garden Club of Virginia and completed in 1999.
Inside, Roxanne meticulously directed the paint chip analysis to be able to get the right colors on all the walls and trim. She undertook a massive inventory of each of the tangible items from every period of the Mansion’s occupancy, cataloguing them to be sure that future occupants would know of their significance. She wanted the furnishings to match the architecture by preserving as much as possible their original character and finish.
Of particular interest to her was the restoration of the period portrait of Queen Elizabeth I that was given to the Mansion in 1926 by Viscount and Lady Astor, the latter a native Virginian who was the second woman elected, and the first to take her seat, as a member to the British House of Commons. Roxanne supervised the process with great enthusiasm, and as the true historian she was, she documented every step of the way.
In everything that she did, Roxanne was motivated by her desire that all Virginians would come to know more of their heritage and would seek to protect it for generations to come. As a gifted teacher, Roxanne was committed to lifelong learning, both for the students and for the teachers as well. She taught throughout her tenure as First Lady, commuting to Randolph-Macon to deliver her lectures and meet with her students, returning to the Mansion to grade their papers. She never put aside her commitment to education, and personally, she never stopped learning.
What the public might not have known is that throughout much of her life Roxanne experienced serious health concerns, but she did not allow them to diminish her total commitment to being of service to others. She always was happy, enthusiastic about life, and quite willing, ready and able to do her part in whatever arena she found herself. For Roxanne, every place was the right place to make her contribution to the betterment of this world. In the truest meaning of the term, Roxanne was a Great Lady.
Roxanne Gatling Gilmore, June 17, 1954 – August 7, 2024. R.I.P.
