After retiring in April 2007 from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
in New Orleans after 16 years of service there as president and general
manager, Fore was prepared to return near his native San Antonio in
Marble Falls to raise quarter horses and exotic game at his ranch. It
was there that he peacefully passed away in his sleep.
Fore’s
meritorious career in the public assembly venue industry spanned more
than 40 years, including stints as executive vice president of
Astrodome-Astrohall Stadium Corporation in Houston for 17 years and
later as manager of McCormick Place in Chicago.
But it
would be in New Orleans, where he oversaw a $121 million second phase
expansion in 1991 and a $270 million third phase expansion in 1999 to
make the venue the sixth largest convention center in the United States,
that Fore would be most known. And it wasn’t even due to the expansions
that Fore would most be remembered.
Along with about 300
other employees and their families seeking shelter, Fore supervised an
additional 40 essential convention workers including carpenters,
electricians and unarmed security guards to monitor the damage of
Hurricane Katrina to the convention center. Fore had arrived at the
venue the day before the hurricane struck and was determined to ride out
the storm and help as many people as he could in the crippled facility
that had already had a hole ripped in the roof and had lost electricity
and water pressure.
Fore would later go on to lead a
cleanup and reopening plan that in fact saw the convention center
partially reopened in February 2006 to host smaller events, just six
months after the hurricane.
Fore received the IAVM Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2007 International Convention Center Conference in Boston.
In
addition to his wife, Darlyne, Fore is survived by two sons, Kristopher
Fore of Marble Falls and Darren Fore of New Orleans; two daughters,
Robin Darnell of Tomball, Texas, and Melissa Hensarling of Dallas; a
brother, Dr. Frank Fore of Tulsa, Okla.; and four grandchildren.
Funeral
services will be held on Thursday, March 24 at the Edgar Funeral Home
in Marble Falls. Viewing will take place at 10 a.m. with the funeral at 1
p.m. in the chapel. For more information, contact the funeral home at
830-693-5808.