Richard Gill

Richard Frank Gill, 64, a top executive with The Shaw Group Inc. and an influential leader within the Baton Rouge and LSU community, died Thursday, March 20, 2008. Gill, president of the Power Group at the Fortune 500 company, had more than 30 years of experience in the industrial construction and maintenance industry. He joined The Shaw Group in 1997 when the company acquired Merit Industrial Constructors Inc., of which Gill was the founder and president. He was Shaw's executive vice president and chief operating officer as well as president of Stone&Webster Inc., a Shaw subsidiary, before being named head of Shaw Power in 2004. Heavily involved in the business community, Gill worked with numerous associations, including the national, state and local Associated Builders and Contractors. He served as a longtime national ABC board member and he was honored as Member of the Year by both the state and Pelican chapters. He held leadership roles in the Young President's Organization and was a member of the World President's Organization, which named him Who's Who Nationally in Engineering and Construction every year since 1995. Gill was an avid supporter of LSU and its athletics program. He was honored numerous times by the school, which elected him to the Business School Hall of Distinction (2002), the School of Construction Management Hall of Fame (1998), the LSU Alumni Hall of Fame (1997) and the LSU Athletic Hall of Distinction (1993). Most recently, the LSU Business School named Gill its MBA Alumnus of the Year. His passion, however, was LSU football and he was a leader with the Tiger Athletic Foundation, where he served as a board member, an executive committee member as well as its president. He oversaw the expansion of Tiger Stadium and was involved in the selection of football coaches Nick Saban and Les Miles, as well as the hiring of athletic director Skip Bertman. An active member of both the Baton Rouge and Charlotte, N.C., communities, Gill served on the Governor's New Orleans Superdome Renovation Commission and other state entities. He was a longtime member of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, the United Way and a score of other nonprofit organizations. Gill is a former president of the Baton Rouge Country Club and member of the Rotary Club and City Club. He was a member of The Chapel on the Campus. In North Carolina, he served as a Teach for America board member. Born in Baton Rouge, Gill graduated from University High School in 1961 and was later elected into that school's Hall of Distinction. He held a bachelor of arts degree and a master's degree in business administration from LSU. He is survived by his wife, Jean Lofland Gill; daughter and son-in-law, Cindy Gill Neal and Paul Neal, and their son, Garrett; daughter and son-in-law, Catherine Gill Cronin and David Cronin, and their daughters, Elizabeth, Caroline and Anna Catherine; daughter and son-in-law, Cristin Gill Viguerie and Matt Viguerie and their sons, Hayden, Dylan and a son-to-be; and son, Richard F. Gill Jr. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, James H. Gill and Barbara Gill; sister and brother-in-law Sandy Gill Knost and Tom Knost and sister and brother-in-law Bonnie Gill Pulver and David Pulver; grandmother, Mrs. Frank G. Stone; uncle, Graham Stone; and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents, James Hardy Gill and Sara Stone Gill; and uncle, Raymond Stone. The family wishes to thank his many, many devoted friends. They extend their deep appreciation to his doctors and the staff at the critical intensive care unit at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Chapel on the Campus, LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation or the LSU Foundation. Visitation at Chapel on the Campus on Saturday, March 22, from noon until funeral service at 2 p.m.