Chick-fil-A VP of Public Relations Dies of Heart Attack

Chick-fil-A's Vice President of Corporate Public Relations, Donald A. Perry, has passed away. WRBL News 3 out of Columbus, Georgia reports: "Ross Cathy, the owner of the Midland, GA Chick-fil-A and family member of company CEO, Dan Cathy, tells News 3, Perry passed away this morning from a heart attack." Donald Perry had been dealing with a media firestorm ever since COO Dan Cathy replied "Well, guilty as charged," when asked if his company had an established position against marriage equality.

Chick-fil-A has been dealing with protests outside of stores and politicians across the country threatening to ban the company (including San Francisco, Boston). Chick-fil-A has also been parodied by the Daily Show, the Onion, NMA, and the Colbert Report. A National Same Sex Kiss Day is being organized at Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country on Friday, August 3.

Here is the statement from Chick-fil-A:

We are saddened to report the news to you that our dear friend Don Perry, vice president of public relations, passed away suddenly this morning.

Don was a member of our Chick-fil-A family for nearly 29 years. For many of you in the media, he was the spokesperson for Chick-fil-A. He was a well-respected and well-liked media executive in the Atlanta and University of Georgia communities, and we will all miss him.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

· Chick-fil-A's VP of Corporate Public Relations passes away [WRBL via @RyanRuggiero via @gastropoda]
· All Chick-fil-A Coverage on Eater [-E-]