FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) - The Humane Society of the United States says former president and CEO John A. Hoyt has died at the age of 80.
The animal rights group said Monday that Hoyt passed away at his home in Fredericksburg on Sunday.
Hoyt served as president and then CEO of the group between 1970 and 1997. During his tenure with organization, Hoyt resided in Darnestown, Md.
The group's chair, Anita Coupe, said in a news release that Hoyt's death creates a "deep sense of loss." She said his vision of a better world for people and animals attracted generations of Americans to the group's work.
Hoyt was born in Marietta, Ohio, in March 1932. He is survived by his wife, Trudy, daughters Peggy, Karen, Anne and Julie, and five grandchildren.
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