From Ben Costello, President:
We have just received word that Tommy Gore, former field agent for the Florida State Board of History and Archives, passed away on Friday, July 17, two days short of his 88th birthday. As a field agent, he would work with divers on salvage vessels to ensure that artifacts, coins, and other recovered items were properly catalogued and tagged. He was known to just about everyone in the shipwreck community and had many friends who kept in contact with him. He was an avid bottle collector with a museum-quality collection. My wife and I visited Tommy at his home in January, 2015. He was a gracious host. He took time to show us through his mini museum, which housed an enormous collection of bottles, artifacts from the 1715 Fleet, alligators, documents, porcelain, and other interesting memorabilia. Fleet Society member Frank Noga (Member #1) was a good friend of Tommy Gore and had this to say upon hearing of his passing:
“Tommy was a good friend of mine. I first met him in 2001. He was the guru of bottles. He somewhat educated me on “black pirate rums” from the 1733 Fleet era. (NOTE: In a broader historical context, the term “pirate rum” often refers generally to heavy, dark, or spiced rums.) I never knew I liked bottles until I met Tommy. Some of the stories he told me over the years about working with Real Eight divers made my head spin! He was always a pleasure to talk to and always made time to chat. Over the years, he was generous enough to even share with me some of his prized finds from the 1715 Fleet, an honor I am truly grateful for. One of the true original salvors that I will truly miss.”
You can access his complete obituary here.
