Dorothy Anne Gremillion

Our beloved, Dorothy Anne Gremillion, died peacefully Friday, August 30, 2024, with family by her side, marking the end of her remarkable and beautiful life. A celebration of Anne's life, called Anne's Party, will be held 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 26, 2024 on stage at The Strand Theatre.

Born in Texas City, Texas, on October 22, 1949, to Charles Paxton Gremillion and Dulce Inez Dorsett Gremillion, Anne was the youngest of four and the only girl in her family. As such, Paxton, King, and Harry showered her with affection. She in turn loved them deeply. Among Anne’s fondest memories as a teenager were singing Broadway musicals at the top of her lungs with her brother Harry. It was the beginning of her lifelong love of theatre. 

At Texas City High School, Anne excelled academically and was placed in the advanced study program. On a dare when she was a junior, Anne auditioned for Oklahoma and landed the role of Ado Annie. The experience cemented her love of theatre and the following year, she played Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. 

After graduating from Texas City High School in 1968, Anne attended the University of Texas at Austin, then matriculated to Centenary College as a theatre major, moving to Shreveport in 1971. At Marjorie Lyons Playhouse under the direction of Bob Buseick, she began to hone her acting skills. Soon, it was apparent that Anne was tremendously talented, performing many memorable roles mentioned below. 

After graduating from Centenary College in 1973 with a BFA in Theatre, KSLA-TV hired Anne to work in the production department, serving as the interface between clients and production. She learned quickly and thrived in the job until Marie Gifford lured her away to work as a copywriter for KMBQ-FM Beautiful Music. It was not long before Marie promoted Anne to the sales force, where she began to shine – calling on clients and developing promotions and strategies. 

By 1981, Anne was Sales Manager and one of her salespeople, Robert Pou, was determined to open his own advertising agency. Anne and Robert opened Gremillion & Pou Advertising on October 1st of that year. The agency initially consisted of owners Anne and Robert and a secretary. They survived the 80’s recession and began adding significant clients and employees. From those early years until the end of 2016 when Anne retired, G&P continued to grow, eventually adding 118 employees in three offices and clients from around the country. G&P was phenomenally successful and recognized state-wide. The company won innumerable advertising awards and received many accolades from its clients and community. Anne was proud and happy that the company continues to thrive in its new iteration, Romph Pou Agency. 

Anne enjoyed working for all her clients, but some were especially dear to her: The Strand Theatre for the first ten years after its 1984 re-opening; the Red River Revel for more than two decades; Horseshoe Casino and Hotel under Jack Binion; and the Port of Caddo-Bossier – the client of which she was most proud. Through her work and interests, Anne participated in many civic ventures in Shreveport. She served for years on the boards for two of her favorite interests: Red River Radio and Southern Foundation. 

Regarding theatre, Anne was astonishing to watch on stage. First, she had an exquisite voice, richly golden and sweet vanilla with the subtle ability to communicate any emotion. The authenticity she brought to each character was so deeply realized that audiences believed everything she did. From a brash Molly Brown to a painfully shy heiress, from a thirteen-year-old to a ninety-year-old in the same play, the audience followed Anne wherever she took them. 

And she took them along on many experiences, both before and after she began her professional career. Some of her credits include Elizabeth in Vivat! Vivat Regina! (’74), Mary in All The Way Home (’77), Amanda in Private Lives, Jane in Vieux Carre (’80), Madame St. Fond in Madame de Sade (’81), Miss Hannigan in Annie (’81), Catherine in The Heiress (’81), Molly in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (’82, her favorite role), Princess Kosmonopolis in Sweet Bird of Youth (’84), Mrs. Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank (’97), Mabel in Prides Crossing (’01), a woman in her 90’s in Three Tall Women (’02), and Regina in The Little Foxes (’06). 

Anne Gremillion was an extraordinary person by any measure. One may trace her success in business and theatre back to the kind of person she was – a deeply kind, charming, witty, energetic, and compassionate human being with a brilliant mind and an unerring moral compass – all those qualities in one person. She loved to tell stories, to laugh and dance. When you met Anne, you felt that she “saw” you, that she understood you. She had an almost clairvoyant insight into the struggle as well as the potential of those she met. Anne extended her kindness and wisdom in large and small ways to those who needed it most. As a result, she enjoyed the respect, admiration, and friendship of countless people from all walks of life. 

While performing Sweet Bird of Youth in 1984, Anne met the love of her life on stage with fellow actor, John Gayle. For 40 years and two months, the two were inseparable and madly in love. They worked together and spent their time away from the office together with their dogs and cats in their beautiful home on the bayou. They enjoyed cooking shrimp creole, baking baguettes and listening to music – always together. 

Anne is preceded in death by her mother, father and brothers Paxton, King, and Harry. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, John Whitworth Gayle of Shreveport, Louisiana, niece Tiffany Gremillion and daughter Cleo of Santa Fe, New Mexico, nephews King Gremillion of Athens, Texas, and John-Paxton Gremillion, wife Bethany and daughters Veda and Isla of Austin, Texas and countless friends and business associates whose lives she so richly touched.

The family would like to thank Willis-Knighton Pierremont ER and ICU staff, and Dr. Jina A. Miller, MD, Dr. Iqbal Singh, MD, and through the years, Dr. Raghu P. Nathan, MD, Dr. Robert C. Holladay, MD, and Dr. Himanshu Desai, MD. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Anne’s name to Friends of Marjorie Lyons Playhouse, Shreveport Little Theatre, Red River Radio, Southern Foundation, Community Foundation of North Louisiana, or the non-profit of your choice. 

We must bid adieu to this uniquely beautiful person, and yet she lives on within us each time we honor her kindness and brilliance by following her lead – the lead of the incomparable, unsinkable Anne Gremillion.