Story and More Information at inside.ewu.edu
 
Raphael Guillory, the starting free safety on the first Eastern Washington University team to win the Big Sky Conference football championship, passed away Sunday (Nov. 29) after a long battle with cancer. He was 49 and leaves behind his wife, Gloria, and five children.
 
He played for Eastern in 1992 and 1993, and went on to become an Eastern professor and earn his PhD. He played at Walla Walla Community College before he came to Eastern, where he was a teammate for one season with his younger brother, Justin Guillory.
 
Formerly from Lapwai, Idaho, Raphael earned Academic All-District VIII honors and was on the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team as a senior in 1993. He earned his bachelor's degree from Eastern in 1994 in sociology with a minor in communications.
 
He had 52 tackles, five passes broken up and two interceptions in 11 games in 1992. He had a career-high 10 tackles in EWU's opener versus Portland State, and had interceptions versus Montana and Northern Iowa (FCS Playoffs). As a senior in 1993, he finished with 30 tackles in nine games with one pass broken up.
 
He served as a player representative for the 1992 team when that squad was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 on the 25th anniversary of the Eagles winning their first-ever Big Sky Conference football title. That squad finished 7-4 and advanced to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (then known as I-AA).
 
"He was a GREAT man! He was my teammate and brother and I always admired him and how he carried himself," said current EWU Police Chief Jay Day, who is also a member of that '92 Hall of Fame team. "He never had a harsh word for anyone and was perpetually positive no matter the circumstances. You can't help but to smile when you think of him. The love he had for his wife and children as well as the rest of his family is something that we should all aspire to. Heaven gained an angel and the EWU academic and athletic community lost a great ambassador and example of what EWU can do for you."
 
Raphael Guillory went on to earn both his master's degree in counseling psychology ('99) and PhD in education ('02) at Washington State University. He has been a psychology professor at Eastern since 2002, including his first 15 years as an assistant professor.
 
He taught coursework in advanced educational psychology, psychology of human relations, developmental theories and applications, and grant-writing. At one point during his tenure he served EWU as president of the Faculty Organization and Faculty Senate chairman.
 
Justin graduated from Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., and then lettered for the Eagles in 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997. He earned second team All-Big Sky honors in 1997 when the Eagles won the Big Sky title and advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs.
 
Guillory's family is planning a streaming memorial service in Spokane on Thursday, as well as a funeral on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho, where Guillory was raised. Information on that service will be updated on this page and at: http://goeags.com/inmemoriam.
 
 
 

Raphael Guillory

Eastern Washington University Football Letterwinner 1992 and 1993
#25 – Free Safety - Lapwai, Idaho - Lapwai HS '89 / Walla Walla Community College

• CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII and Big Sky Conference All-Academic in 1993
• In his two-year career after transferring from Walla Walla Community College, he played in 20 games with Eastern winning 13 of those games.
• He had 52 tackles, five passes broken up and two interceptions in 11 games in 1992. He had a career-high 10 tackles in EWU's opener versus Portland State, and had interceptions versus Montana and Northern Iowa (FCS Playoffs).
• As a senior in 1993, he finished with 30 tackles in nine games with one pass broken up.
• Was a player representative for the 1992 team when that squad was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 on the 25th anniversary of­ the Eagles winning their first-ever Big Sky Conference football title. That squad finished 7-4 and advanced to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (then known as I-AA0. https://goeags.com/honors/eastern-washington-university-athletics-hall-of-fame/1992-team-football/104

 
His Younger Brother . . .

Guillory, Justin

Letterwinner in 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997
No. 28 – Linebacker - Lapwai, Idaho - Curtis HS '93 (in Tacoma, Wash.)

• 2nd team All-BSC in 1997 on team which won the Big Sky Conference title and advance to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs.
• Finished his career with 245 tackles to currently rank 19th in EWU history, but fifth at the time.

­