John Y. Brown Jr., an entrepreneur who built Kentucky Fried Chicken into a powerhouse brand and was elected Kentucky’s 55th governor, died on November 22,2022. He was 88.
He had been dealing with health complications derived from COVID-19 since the summer.
Brown’s children confirmed his death in a statement, calling him a “true Kentucky original who beamed with pride for his home state and its people.”
Gov. Andy Beshear hailed Brown as “a remarkable leader who was committed to serving the people of Kentucky.”
“He made our commonwealth a better place. Britainy and I are praying for his family and loved ones,” Beshear, a Democrat, said in a tweet..
Brown is survived by his sons, Lincoln and John Brown III, his daughters, Pamela Brown Wright, Sandy Steier and Sissy Brown, and his grandchildren, Vivienne and Benny Wright, Eleanor, Grace, Brooks and Colson Steier, Maggie Brown, John Brown IV, Will and Meg Talley, Lindo Mfeka and Will Alondamwani.
Visitation will take place Tuesday, November 29, at the Kentucky Capitol rotunda where Brown will lie in state. His service will be 3 p.m. at the state Capitol building the following day.
