Roberta Atkinson Guillory

Surrounded by her family, Roberta Atkinson Guillory died peacefully on Tuesday, June 4th, 2024 at her home in Baton Rouge. Born on April 16th, 1937 in Texarkana, Arkansas, she graduated from Newcomb College in New Orleans in 1959 before marrying Dr. Joseph D. Guillory, Jr. (Jay) in 1961. They moved to Baton Rouge in 1967, where they raised their three children. While her children were in school, she earned her Masters of Social Work from Louisiana State University. Devoutly spiritual from a very early age, Roberta traveled the world to study with a variety of teachers and deepen her wisdom. She was a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church where she helped to establish a Renewal program in 1981 and facilitated book studies. In 1993, she enrolled in an intensive nine-month spiritual direction program at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, followed by a year-long training at Stanford University Hospital to be certified as a hospital chaplain. During her time in California, she experienced the profound power of women’s circles in her own life, which prompted her to open The Red Shoes in 1999 as a place for the women of Baton Rouge to explore their spirituality through classes, book studies and workshops in a supportive and inclusive community. Over the decades—first in a small storefront on Perkins Road, and then in a larger location on Government Street—The Red Shoes became the manifestation of one of her favorite biblical passages: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

In addition to her husband, she is survived by their daughters, Virginia Guillory Bull of Hawaii (Lance), Laura Guillory Cook of London (David); and seven grandchildren: Harrison, Madeline and Remington Bull; Georgia, Phoebe and Oliver Cook; and Norah Guillory. She was preceded in death by her mother, Edna Mae Atkinson, her father Searcy Hunter Atkinson, two sisters: Jean Wren and Nancy Williams; and their son Michael Guillory.

There will be a service held at The Red Shoes, 2303 Government Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Sunday, July 21 at 3pm. Visitation will be at St. Aloysius Church, 2025 Stuart Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Monday, July 22 between 1:30-3:30pm, followed by a funeral service at 3:30pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Red Shoes at theredshoes.org.