W.C. "Cotton" Fore

Wallace Cecil “W.C.” “Cotton” Fore, 83, of Biloxi, Mississippi, passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, January 8, 2026, with his wife, Penny, by his side. He was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on January 20, 1942, and passed away just days shy of his 84th birthday.

To those who worked alongside him, W.C. “Cotton” Fore was known simply as Unit One. It was his radio call sign, a name earned not by title but by example. Unit One was always first on site, first to start the day, and the standard by which the work was measured. If Unit One was on the ground, the job was moving.

W.C. was a man defined by work. From an early age, he believed deeply in showing up, pulling his weight, and earning everything he had. “I love to work and can outwork anybody,” he once said, and he lived that belief every day of his life.

Raised on a farm north of Gulfport, W.C. began working at just 13 years old. As a toddler, he suffered severe burns in a family fireplace accident and spent more than a year recovering. When his hair grew back white, the nickname “Cotton” stayed with him for life. Hardship met him early, and perseverance followed him always. His parents instilled in him honesty, faith, and an unwavering work ethic, values he carried throughout his life.

After graduating high school in 1960, Cotton went straight to work. At 17, he earned a dollar an hour working on a crane, saved enough to buy his first truck, and never looked back. From that first grading job, he built what would become W.C. Fore Trucking Inc., in 1974, through discipline, vision, and a deep understanding of land, machinery, and people.

Over decades, his work helped shape many of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s most significant projects, including the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, expansions at the Port of Gulfport, NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, the Chevron refinery in Pascagoula, the Mississippi Aquarium, and numerous casino developments along the coastline.

W.C. worked beside his crews, loved operating heavy machinery, and kept his lunch simple, often a homemade bologna sandwich. Because who had time for a lunch break? Though he achieved great success, he lived modestly and avoided extravagance. He believed in paying for equipment outright, owning his land, and doing exactly what he said he would do. He valued honesty above all else and expected the same from others.

Cotton ran a tight ship and was famously intolerant of loafing. He expected full effort and accountability, yet those who worked for him knew he was fair, loyal, and deeply committed to his people. When work slowed, he found ways to keep employees working, often by developing land or creating new opportunities. Many worked alongside him for decades.

Beneath his tough exterior was a quiet generosity. Cotton donated to families whose homes were destroyed by fire, helped children and families in need, supported the Catholic Church, and cared deeply for the homeless community. He also had a lifelong love for animals and believed they deserved care and protection just as much as people, and he was a frequent donor to the Humane Society of South Mississippi.

Deeply connected to the MS Gulf Coast community, Cotton valued tradition, loyalty, and the friendships that grew from a lifetime of showing up for others. He was affectionately granted honorary membership in the Slavonian Lodge of Biloxi, a distinction that reflected the respect, admiration, and genuine fondness he earned from those around him.

That love was especially evident in his devotion to his beloved dog, Daisy, who was rarely far from his side.

W.C. “Cotton” Fore was preceded in death by his parents, Pat Harrison Fore and Velma Albertson Fore; his daughter, Marie Maxine Fore; and his sisters, Marilyn Rae Sellars and Sue Sears.

He is survived by his loving wife, Penny Andrews Fore; his stepchildren, Regina Goff, Taylor Necaise, and Destin Andrews; his grandchildren, Corbin Atwood, Austin Goff, and Sheena Bentz; and his Godson, Brax Clark.

He is also survived by his siblings, Pat Halton “Buck” Fore Jr., (Ann), Jennie Trowbridge (Toby), Janie Fore, and Jonie Gill. (Jennie, Janie, and Jonie are triplets.)

Additional survivors include his nieces and nephews: Kelli Ann Morrow, Pat Halton Fore III, Lamont Ladner, Ron Seals, Jason Fore, Toby Trowbridge, Cole Trowbridge, Jenna Ray Guilbeaux, Robin Dale Guilbeaux, Jessica McCollum, and Josie Ann Blakeney.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026, at St. James Catholic Church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at St. James Catholic Church, with friends invited to visit one hour prior. Interment will follow at Floral Hills Cemetery.

A celebration of life will be held in Cotton’s honor at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the Bayou Bluff Tennis Club.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of South Mississippi at https://www.hssm.org/ or Loaves and Fishes at https://www.givegab.com/nonprofits/loaves-and-fishes-inc, organizations that reflect Cotton’s lifelong compassion for those without a voice.

W.C. Fore Trucking continues forward today, just as he would have wanted. The walls of the office are lined with photographs of the equipment he loved and the projects he completed, lasting reminders of a man whose legacy is built into the foundation of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Cotton answered the call, did the work, and left this place better than he found it.

Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Wallace Cecil “W.C.” “Cotton” Fore.