Having long left biggest competitor KFC behind, Chick-Fil-A in 2015 has turned into the most successful fried chicken fast food chain in the country after it was founded in the 1940s - and now, Jeannette Cathy, widow of original founder S. Truett Cathy, has passed away.
Truett passed away less than a year ago on September 2014, and now Chick-Fil-A's 2015 condolences are extended further to the family, after his longtime wife and mother of his children (who now run the company) passed away surrounded by her family at Atlanta's Piedmont Hospital, in keeping with the chain's longtime Southern tradition.
"Our mother has always been the spiritual nucleus and encourager of our family," said Dan T. Cathy, chairman, president, CEO and Jeannette's son in a statement. "I can't remember a day when she was not in full support of Dad in his work and vision for the Chick-fil-A business."
Our late founder’s wife, Jeannette, has passed. Please keep the Cathy family in your prayers. https://t.co/mBUWTiweIO pic.twitter.com/d7tJOg6Cok
— Chick-fil-A, Inc. (@ChickfilA) July 23, 2015
According to WSBTV, although Chick-Fil-A's 2015 sees the fast food chain turned into one of the biggest and fastest-growing in the business, it wasn't always this way, and Mrs. Cathy has been long said to have been a major part in her husband's business, since he first started his first Dwarf Grill restaurant (later Dwarf House) in Hapeville in what would become Chick-Fil-A in 1967.
CBS46 reports that Mrs. Cathy was an Atlanta native herself, helping bring Chick-Fil-A's 2015 be what it is now as she supported the man who was her husband for 65 years.
It has been reported that Mr. and Mrs. Cathy met as children when they lived next door to each other, but wouldn't be married until they were both in their mid-20s in 1948.
Mrs. Cathy attended the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
According to KHOU, there's a lot of Mrs. Cathy in Chick-Fil-A's 2015, including the Jeannette Cathy Children's Center facility for employees of the company's HQ.
Condolences to the fast food chain over Chick-Fil-A's 2015 loss.
