GORE Gore, Robert Haury (R.H. Gore, Jr.), 93, first resident of Sea Ranch Lakes, died March 19, 2002. He was the first of nine children, Robert was born on July 21, 1908 in Trinidad, Colorado to R. H. Gore, Sr. and Lorena Haury Gore. He was the last graduate of College of Agriculture, University of Notre Dame, in 1931, and was the only student receiving Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. His diploma, being so unique, now rests in the archives of the University of Notre Dame. Robert H. Gore, Jr. had a long and productive association with the University of Notre Dame, beginning with his graduation in 1931. After following his career choice and operating a poultry farm in Lake Zurich, IL for 15 years, he yielded to the call from his father, insurance and newspaperman, Robert H. Gore. Sr., another well-known benefactor of the University, and moved his growing family to Fort Lauderdale, FL in 1945. Robert Gore, Jr. owned and operated a poultry and grain farm in Lake Zurich, IL until moving to Ft. Lauderdale, FL in 1946 where he assisted his father, the late R. H. Gore, Sr., in his many business activities where he served as proof reader at the fledgling Fort Lauderdale News, was night auditor of the Governors' Club Hotel and Sea Ranch Hotel, and several other hotels in Florida and North Carolina. There he assumed a directorship, the presidency, and eventually the board chairmanship of the North American Company, a holding company for diversified real estate, hotel, industrial, and newspaper-radio-television interests of his father. He retired from the company in 1973. Robert H. Gore, Jr. was an avid coin collector. He brought his first coin as a ten-year old newsboy in Terre Haute, Indiana. By the time of his retirement he had developed one of the premiere American coin collections in the United States. Long interested in the historical importance of numismatics, and wanting to give back to the University of Notre Dame something of lasting value as well as remembrance, he donated the major portion of his collection to Notre Dame both as a memorial, and as a research collection to be used in the study of American numismatics. The Margaret P. and Robert H. Gore, Jr., Memorial American Numismatic Collection can be accessed at www.nd.edu/ - \advance/advance/gore. The Margaret P. Gore and Robert H. Gore, Jr. Memorial American Numismatic Collection includes: 1) a nearly complete type set of every copper, nickel, silver, and gold coin ever issued by the United States from the time of its inception in 1776 to the present; 2) an important historical sampling of early preand post1776 colonial paper and metal currency; 3) a collection of Civil War fractional paper currency; 4) a series of gold "Exposition coins" issued at various times over the past century by individual states; 5) five authenticated Spanish gold bars recovered from the wrecks of the Plate Fleet of 1715 off the central eastern Florida coast; and 6) a large and diversified library of numismatic books, magazines, and catalogs. The coins and paper currency in this collection, many of which are exceedingly rare or otherwise unavailable, encompass nearly 300 years of American history and form a nucleus for research, comparison, and verification of authenticity of the multiple historical numismatic productions of the United States. There have been numerous requests to use images from the Gore collection such as the BBC History Magazine, also, the April 2002 issue of the premier publication in colonial numismatics, The Colonial Newsletter, will be a Massachusetts silver and will feature illustrations of R. H. Gore, Jr.'s coins. Spokespeople for the University Libraries of Notre Dame indicate that "the R.H. Gore-Margaret P. Gore Memorial Collection is one of the most frequently used numismatics resources in the country." Mr. Gore was the founder of the Notre Dame Club of Ft. Lauderdale and pioneered the first statewide Notre Dame Alumni convention (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and then the first international Notre Dame Alumni Convention (Bahamas Islands). He served with distinction on the University of Notre Dame College of Commerce Advisory Committee as well as the Alumni Board (1954-1956). He also was first treasurer of the Ft. Lauderdale Downtown Development Committee, operated R.H. Gore Orchids with long time friend Nick Kersta, and was instrumental in the formation of WGOR FM Radio Station as well as WFTL-UHF, the city's first UHF television station. After living on New River for eight years (1946-1954), Mr. Gore moved his family to the undeveloped area north of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and eventually helped develop the land around him which became the Village of Sea Ranch Lakes. He served on the first Village council, but turned down the offer to be the first mayor. His wife of 63 years, Margaret Powers Gore, passed away on November 20, 2001. He is survived by his five children Robert H. Gore, III, Ph.D., Paul A. Gore, Ann Gore, Sue Ellen St. Amant, and Jane Louise Gore, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. R. H. Gore, Jr., passed away at #1 Winnebago Road, his home of 47 years. Funeral arrangements are by Baird-Case/Jordan Fannin Funeral Home at 4343 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, phone number 492-4000. A private viewing and memorial service will be at the Gore home in Sea Ranch Lakes. Call Paul A. Gore at 491-2244 for details. The funeral mass will be at Assumption Catholic Church, Pompano Beach on Saturday, March 23, 2002 at 11:00 A.M. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to a living memorial at the Prayer Garden of Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church, 5980 N. University Drive, Parkland, FL 33067, 954-340-6462.
Published in Sun-Sentinel on Mar. 21, 2002