Jay Rockefeller, Former West Virginia Governor and Senator, Dies at 89
Jay Rockefeller, who served as governor of West Virginia and then as a five-term U.S. senator, died at his home in Washington, D.C. He was 89. Family representative Shelley Rodgers confirmed the death. No cause of death was given.
His full name was John D. "Jay" Rockefeller IV. He was born in New York in 1937, the second child of John D. Rockefeller III and Blanchette Ferry Rockefeller. He graduated from Harvard College in 1961 and later made his public career in West Virginia.
He was first elected governor in 1976 and won a second term four years later. In 1984 he became the state's U.S. senator. He was re-elected four more times and retired from public service in 2015. Reuters described him as a healthcare advocate in the Senate. The Washington Post called him a Senate voice on health care and security.
The Associated Press noted that he was the last member of his family's political dynasty, a family line that held elected office across generations. His relatives had long been prominent in public life, but he was the final one to serve in office.
Mary Stewart, vice president for external affairs at WETA, the Washington public television station, also confirmed that he died at home in Washington. Rockefeller is survived by his wife, Sharon Lee Percy Rockefeller, and four children: John D. Rockefeller V, Valerie Rockefeller, Charles Rockefeller and Justin Rockefeller. He also leaves nine grandchildren and two sisters, Hope Aldrich and Alida Messinger.
Family and friends have not announced funeral or memorial arrangements. Anyone who wants to read more about his career can start with the obituaries from the Post and the Associated Press.
