Jay Rockefeller dies at 89: What was the cause of death of West Virginia governor and former US Senator

John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV, the former West Virginia governor and longtime US senator, has died at the age of 89. A great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, he spent much of his life in public service rather than following the family’s business path.

Rockefeller served two terms as governor and was in the US Senate representing West Virginia for 30 years. His principal areas of work were healthcare, poverty, coal miners and military veterans.

What was Jay Rockefeller’s cause of death?

Jay Rockefeller died at his home in Washington on Friday, as per report from The Washington Post. The family has not disclosed a cause of death. WETA also confirmed his death via Mary Stewart, their VP of external affairs. Sharon Percy Rockefeller, his wife, is WETA’s president and CEO.

Born John D. Rockefeller IV in New York City on June 18, 1937, he was the great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, who died just prior to his birth. His father John D. Rockefeller III was a major philanthropist and his uncle, Nelson Rockefeller was Governor of New York and US Vice President.

How did John D. Rockefeller IV build his political career?

After Harvard, he went to West Virginia in 1964 to work with VISTA. He intended to do it for a very short time, but the experience changed him and ultimately led him into politics. He was in the state legislature in 1966, became Secretary of State in 1968 and was elected Governor in 1976 (having lost to the incumbent in 1972). He served two terms before winning a seat in the Senate in 1984.

During his five terms in the Senate, he became a major voice on health care. He was instrumental in the development of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which was created in 1997 to enable states to provide health insurance to children in families with low income.

He was also a supporter of Obama’s healthcare overhaul, though his public insurance option proposal was not included in the final package.

His record on healthcare and the Iraq War

Rockefeller chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee and went on to criticise the President's handling of the Iraq war. He had voted in 2002 for authorisation of military action and later expressed regret at having done so. "If I had known then what I know now I would have voted against it," he told the Charleston Gazette in 2004. He also said the 'intelligensia' behind the war had been shaped to support the decision to go to war in Iraq.


Rockefeller retired from the Senate in 2015. He was married to Sharon Percy Rockefeller and they had four children. The information is taken from Reuters, The AP and Washington Times.