Dave Thomas – the founder and well-known pitchman for the Wendy's burger chain – died at his home in Florida, the company said Tuesday.
Thomas, 69, died around midnight at his residence. The company said he succumbed to liver cancer after having a tumour for more than a decade.
He had also been receiving dialysis for a kidney problem since early 2001, and underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in December 1996.
"Dave was our patriarch, a great, big lovable man," Jack Schuessler, chairman and CEO of Wendy's International, said in a statement. "He was the heart and soul of our company."
Founded by Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969, Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers carried the nickname of Thomas' eight-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, who was called Wendy by her siblings.
The burger chain eventually grew to 6,000 restaurants in the United States, Canada and dozens of other countries.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2002/01/08/thomas_020108.html
damn this is news to me....RIP DAVE, I WILL REMEMBER YOU WITH EVERY JUNIOR CHEESEBURGER THAT I EAT FROM NOW ON
Edit: what a number to die at..
Thomas, 69, died around midnight at his residence. The company said he succumbed to liver cancer after having a tumour for more than a decade.
He had also been receiving dialysis for a kidney problem since early 2001, and underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in December 1996.
"Dave was our patriarch, a great, big lovable man," Jack Schuessler, chairman and CEO of Wendy's International, said in a statement. "He was the heart and soul of our company."
Founded by Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969, Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers carried the nickname of Thomas' eight-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, who was called Wendy by her siblings.
The burger chain eventually grew to 6,000 restaurants in the United States, Canada and dozens of other countries.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2002/01/08/thomas_020108.html
damn this is news to me....RIP DAVE, I WILL REMEMBER YOU WITH EVERY JUNIOR CHEESEBURGER THAT I EAT FROM NOW ON
Edit: what a number to die at..
