BRUNSWICK COUNTY (WWAY) — Thursday marked a somber gathering in Brunswick County.
Family members, friends, and Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office employees lined up at Highest Praise Worship Center Thursday afternoon to remember Brandon Gore and support his family.
Brandon Gore worked in animal protective services with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office since 2015. People said he had a heart for unwanted animals, helping them find his forever home after taking care of them.
“We actually adopted a cat from where he works,” said Gore’s neighbor, Zach Copeland. “He gave myself and my son… my five-year-old son, a tour of their facilities. He was really nice, of course. The perfect person for that job.”
According to those who knew him, Gore had a heart for more than just animals. Sheriff John Ingram remembered he cared about others, saying, “If someone was out sick or suffering a loss, Brandon was the one who would call every day just to make sure they were ok. The folks at the shelter were more than just coworkers to him. They were family.”
Brunswick County Sheriff Office’s Chaplain said he also loved his work.
“He told me that one of the highlights of his life was becoming a deputy with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.”
Men and women gathered Thursday afternoon to say a final goodbye. The 30-year-old Sheriff’s deputy passed away earlier this month from COVID-19 complications.
The month-long struggle began March 3, when he contracted the Coronavirus. Just days later, he was airlifted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Not long after that, he had a stroke.
But Thursday, speakers didn’t talk about how he died. The focused on how he lived.
“Webster’s dictionary describes kind as disposed to do good to others,” said the Chaplain, “to make them happy, having tenderness or goodness of nature. That sounds exactly the way people described Brandon.”
Gore leaves behind his mother, father, two sisters, and dog, who he adopted from Brunswick County’s Animal Shelter.