Chick-fil-A Head of Public Relations Donald Perry Dead of Heart Attack

Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Gingrich visits a Chick-fil-A in Anderson(Photo : Reuters)

By Zanub Saeed

Chick-fil-A president of corporation public relations, Donald Perry, reportedly died of a heart attack Friday morning, reported Columbus, Ga., station WRBL News 3.

Perry reportedly work for Chick-fil-A for almost three decades, and was the spokesperson for the company, reported BusinessInsider blog on Friday. It was confirmed by Ross Cathy, the owner of the Midland, GA Chick-fil-A and family member of company CEO, Dan Cathy, said WRBL News.

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Chick-fil-A issued a press release regarding the passing of their head of communications.

"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," the Chick-fil-A press release said. "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 is also in the news for the controversy surrounding what Dan Cathy said earlier this month, where he believed the company was run on Christian values, including the "biblical definition" of marriage, thus exonerating same-sex marriage from its list of morals.

Communities, cities, colleges, and organizations alike have countered Cathy's statement, so much so that the city of Boston banned opening new stores in the city, the Boston Herald reported earlier in the week.

Two Kansas state universities set up petitions to shut down Chick-fil-A stores on their campus, and although mayors of Chicago and New York City are for same-sex marriage, they will not stop business owners from opening new Chick-fil-A stores.