Chick-fil-A Founder S. Truett Cathy Dies at 93

S. Truett Cathy, the founder of the immensely popular Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, has passed away at the age of 93, The Associated Press reports.

A Chick-fil-A spokesman said that Cathy died early Monday morning surrounded by his family.

Cathy founded Chick-fil-A in Atlanta in 1967, and the company has had 46 straight years of growth, WSB-TV reports. In addition to chicken sandwiches, which Chick-fil-A claims to have invented, the restaurants mirror Cathy’s conservative values and remains closed on Sundays.

Cathy’s son Dan, who has been the company’s president and COO since 2001, shares his father’s conservative ideals. Dan and Chick-fil-A faced backlash from gay rights activists in 2012 when he said Chick-fil-A supports the Biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman. Activists organized boycotts of Chick-fil-A stores, held kiss-ins between same sex couples inside Chick-fil-A restaurants. The mayors of Boston and Chicago announced that the chain would not be welcome in their cities.

Supporters of Cathy came out in droves when former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee announced Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day on Aug. 1, 2012. Support for the restaurant chain was “overwhelming,” officials said. At one store in California, customers had to wait up to 90 minutes to be served due to the extreme demand.

In 2013, Chick-fil-A reported an annual profit of $5 billion, and was operating in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Cathy’s personal wealth was estimated at $6 billion.

A private viewing for friends and family will be held on Sept. 9 at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Jonesboro. The public can pay its last respects to Cathy between 4 and 7 p.m. on Sept. 9, and again from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 10.

Cathy’s funeral will be held at First Baptist Church at 2 p.m. on Sept. 10. Mourners are asked to park at Tara Stadium on Battlecreek Road and take the shuttle to the church.

Photo: S. Truett Cathy in 2006. Credit: Chick-fil-A