Troy Fore, Jr., 79, died Thursday, June 27, 2024, after an extended illness. The Wayne County native was born into the beekeeping family which started Altamaha Apiaries in its iconic building on Highway 341 South. Working alongside his father, he mastered the agricultural basics of beekeeping and later represented his family business on the national stage.

After graduating from Wayne County High School in 1962, he attended the University of Georgia and eventually returned to Wayne County to establish his own Fore's Honey Farms in 1969, following in his father's footsteps while adding adventurous and creative twists. In the 1970s Troy and his family practiced "migratory beekeeping" by trucking their hives to North Dakota annually and even moving them by boat to Abaco in the Bahamas to pollinate the cucumber fields. Driven by a keen intellect and an interest in public policy, Troy began to explore other interests. These led to a lifelong friendship and an added career when Elliott Brack, editor and publisher of the fledgling Wayne County Press, offered him a job. His success was evidenced by his later assuming the role of acting editor and later associate editor. In 1976 when The Jesup Sentinel and The Wayne County Press became one newspaper, The Press-Sentinel, he was named associate editor and then editor.

Merging his expertise in both beekeeping and journalism, he launched The Speedy Bee, a trade newspaper with a national circulation devoted to beekeepers and their issues. In 1991 he branched further as a joint founder and partner of Glynn Press, Inc., publishers of both FLETC's Glynco Observer and Jekyll's Golden Islander.

In 1988 he assumed the position of Executive Director of the American Beekeepers Federation. Working in this capacity until c. 2009, he advocated for the industry before Congressional committees and hearings, organized and spoke frequently at national and state conferences and conventions, and worked with individual policy makers to inform them of issues plaguing beekeepers. With the threat of Africanized bees, he led an investigative expedition to Latin America. He was also instrumental in establishing the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, a charitable research and education foundation to support the preservation of honeybees.

He was a 50+ year member of Jesup First Baptist Church, a Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, member of the Golden Rulers Sunday School Class, and a leader of the Men's Tuesday Morning Prayer Group. He was also a member of the 1980 Leadership Georgia Class and the Lions Club. He was predeceased by his parents, Nancy Delk Fore and Troy Fore, Sr., and brothers-in-law Bill Davis and Roy Phillips.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Ruth Westberry Fore, whom he "loved unconditionally for 59 years"; two sons, Troy Howard (Jeanne) Fore III, of Atlanta, and Andy (Lisa) Fore of Jesup; four grandchildren Teagan Grace Fore and Turner Jackson Fore of Atlanta, and Courtney Vickers and Caitlin Hopkins of Jesup; two sisters, Shirley (Forest) Fore Davis Williams of Valdosta and Christine Fore Phillips Bennett of Brunswick; sister-in-law Judy Westberry Harper of Jesup; brother-in-law Henry (Cyndi) Westberry of Statesboro; and several great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at Jesup First Baptist Church with Pastor Brooks Haddock and Dr. Felix Haynes officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

Honorary pallbearers will be all ordained deacons of First Baptist Church, and the Golden Ruler Sunday School class.

The family will hold a private interment service at Pinecrest Memorial Cemetery, at a later date.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1115, Jesup, GA 31598.

Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home of Jesup is in charge of arrangements.