CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Cabinet Secretary for the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance Dennis Davis has died, the governor announced Tuesday.
Gov. Jim Justice praised Davis at a news conference and said he gave “a lifetime of service” to the state.
“Without question, he was an absolute patriot in every way, who cared deeply for the heroes across our state that served our nation,” Justice said.
Davis was an U.S. Army veteran and was appointed by Justice to serve as head of the department overseeing veterans issues in 2017.
He was also a teacher and executive in Kanawha County Schools for 29 years before former Gov. Cecil Underwood appointed him as head of the Workforce Development for West Virginia in 1996. He left for the private sector four years later.
Further details on Davis’ death weren’t immediately released.
“Dennis came from a family of Veterans and used his career as Cabinet Secretary to serve his fellow Veterans across the Mountain State,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said in a statement. “He was a joy to work with and to know as a friend.”
