Gladys Sara Roure

Our beloved, Gladys Sara Roure, died peacefully on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at the age of 77. Gladys was born on April 26, 1946, and was raised in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Gladys moved to Tallahassee in 1969 to complete a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Florida State University. After graduating, she worked in her most treasured role as a social worker with an afterschool program for young boys of single mothers in Georgetown (Washington D.C.). She returned to Tallahassee and worked for many years at the Department of Labor as a Worker’s Compensation Investigator and later for the Attorney General’s Office in the Victim Advocacy program before retiring in 2011. She always took tremendous pride in helping people overcome adversity. Gladys had many hobbies, including photography, dancing, racquet sports, volleyball, softball, bowling, and billiards. She was known to be a master on the air hockey table at Chuck E. Cheese on occasion. She closely followed Hollywood stars and film culture and loved going to the movies. Gladys also had an intense love of music and would travel across the southeast to see some of her favorites live in concert, such as Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, and Diana Ross just to name a few. She was passionate about politics and equality and was also a lifelong supporter of the Sierra Club and PBS. She had a heart of gold that shone brightly for animals in need. She tended to homeless cats in Tallahassee, opening her home as a refuge for countless rescues over the years. Each cat and dog that shared Gladys’s life was a cherished family member. Gladys was a genuinely warm, caring, passionate, and funny soul, with a mesmerizing intensity. She brought any room to life and filled the hearts of those around her. May her spirit live on through all those she touched so deeply. She is preceded in death by her mother (Aelis), father (Rafael), grandparents, former partner and long-time chosen family Amy, and her many dogs and cats. Gladys is survived by sisters Sonia (Jorgito) and Jeannette (Tuti), nieces and nephews (Maria Christina, Jorge Jr., Lucien, and Arturo Jr.), as well as her chosen family in Nicole (Claire) and, daughters Maggie and Abby, whom she always referred to affectionately as “my girls”. Donations in Gladys’s memory may be made to Tallahassee Animal Shelter Foundation at animalshelterfoundation.org.

Gladys Sara Roure

April 26, 1946 - January 23, 2024