favor of the Plaintiffs, validating the terms of the Humane Euthanasia Act, and issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the Department from issuing licenses to shelters using gas chambers, with exceptions being made for those established before the act and those in counties with less than 25,000 residents. After the Court decision, and issuance of the permanent injunction, Irvin continued to voice resistance to the ruling. In an interview with a south Georgia newspaper, Irvin suggested possible ways to circumvent the law, including the use of private contractors to operate gas chambers. When the Department continued to license a gas chamber in Cobb County, Georgia, in violation of the court order, a second action was brought, which resulted in the Department being held in contempt. The cases received widespread coverage in the media, casting Irvin in an unfavorable light. Personal life Irvin grew up the child of poor sharecroppers. When his father died, Irvin quit school to take care of his mother and sisters, running the business for several years until he got into local politics. Irvin was inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame in 2007, and he and his wife funded scholarships for youth. He was a trustee at several schools, including Piedmont College and Truett-McConnell College. Irvin also served as school board chairman and president of the Georgia School Boards Association. He died at his home in Mount Airy, Georgia on September 14, 2017 at the age of 88. See also List of people from Georgia (U.S. state) References 1929 births 2017 deaths Georgia (U.S. state) Commissioners of Agriculture School board members in Georgia (U.S. state) Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives People from Habersham County, Georgia People from Hall County, Georgia 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians