Edgar "Richard" Gollott, Sr.

Seafood industry leader and advocate Edgar Richard Gollott of Biloxi died peacefully at home with family at his bedside on May 9, 2021. He was 77 years old. Richard was born January 15, 1944 to Edgar Madison Gollott and Mabel Balius Gollott. Richard is survived by his wife Shirley (Tookie) Gollott, son Edgar Richard Gollott, Jr. (Kelcey), son Anthony (Gindy) Taranto, and daughter Shelly (Kelly) Walker; his grandchildren, Jacob and Grant Gollott, Courtney and Kyle Taranto, Nicholas Powell, and Caleb Walker. His brothers, David (Judy) Gollott, Douglas (Peggy) Gollott, Wally (Leslie) Gollott, Jon (Michelle) Gollott; sisters, Kathy (Robert) Brooks, Ann Gary, Kathy (Ben) Cruthirds; many nieces and nephews; and his beloved fur babies, Sadie and Eddie. Richard was a lifelong resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and made the seafood industry his lifelong work. In 1969 Richard opened Cap’n Gollott Seafood which grew to be one of the largest oyster processing companies on the Gulf Coast. Starting in 1976, he was instrumental in helping Vietnamese families relocate to the Biloxi area from New Orleans to work in the industry. National Geographic magazine featured him in September 1981 for his leadership in this effort. To this day, he is highly regarded and appreciated in the Vietnamese community for his work in aiding Vietnamese families establish their own businesses in the local seafood industry. In 1984, many Vietnamese families began buying and building shrimp boats. Richard and his cousins opened an unloading dock and ice plant on Back Bay Biloxi to start buying their shrimp. A year later they opened a shrimp processing plant. While his cousins are no longer in the business, Richard continued to serve as President of Gollott’s Oil Dock & Ice House, Inc., and Vice-President of Golden Gulf Coast Pkg Co., Inc, while working alongside his son and brother as partners. Richard was one of the founding members of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Shrimp Processors Association. He was appointed by the governor as Commissioner to the Department of Marine Resources in 2004 where he served until March 16, 2021. In 2013 Richard was honored by his fellow members of the seafood industry for his contributions by being named Shrimp King of the Blessing of the Fleet, and by being inducted into the Maritime & Seafood Museum Heritage Hall of Fame. Additionally, Richard was a member of the Biloxi Business Men’s Club, and he served in the Mississippi National Guard for six years and received an honorable discharge in 1970. Richard was a man of profound Christian faith; he had a heart for helping people while never wanting recognition for the contributions he made. He truly enjoyed being a part of and supporting three local churches: Northside Assembly of God, New Life Family Church, and Cedar Lake Christian Assembly. He believed they all met different needs in the community, and the Pastors all ministered to him in unique ways. He loved gospel music and, on several occasions, took his mother to Gaithers’ concerts which she enjoyed as well. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thursday, May 13, 2021 at Northside Assembly of God, 14901 Lemoyne Blvd., Biloxi, MS. A funeral service will be held immediately following visitation with Pastor Jeff Fillmore officiating. Burial will follow at Southern Memorial Park in Biloxi. Richard’s family wishes to give special thanks to Dr. Pande and Dr. Khalid from the Memorial Medical Oncology Group as well as his team of doctors at MD Anderson in Houston, TX. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial gifts in Richard’s honor be given to: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center PO Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the Gollott family.