9 2 1 ▁ ▁September ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁business man , ▁invest or , ▁author , ▁and ▁phil anth rop ist . ▁He ▁founded ▁the ▁fast ▁food ▁restaurant ▁chain ▁Ch ick - fil - A ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁C ath y ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁in ▁E at ont on , ▁Georgia , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁L illa ▁James ▁( née ▁Kim ball ) ▁and ▁Joseph ▁Benjamin ▁C ath y . ▁He ▁attended ▁Boys ▁High ▁School ▁( now ▁Henry ▁W . ▁Gr ady ▁High ▁School ) ▁in ▁Atlanta ▁and ▁later ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁C ath y ▁began ▁the ▁Ch ick - fil - A ▁restaurant ▁chain ▁in ▁the ▁Atlanta ▁sub urb ▁of ▁H ape ville ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁with ▁a ▁restaurant ▁called ▁the ▁D war f ▁Gr ill , ▁whose ▁name ▁arose ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁small ▁size . ▁It ▁was ▁there ▁that ▁he , ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁brother ▁and ▁business ▁partner ▁Ben , ▁created ▁the ▁ch icken ▁sand wich ▁that ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁signature ▁menu ▁item ▁for ▁Ch ick - fil - A . ▁The ▁original ▁restaurant ▁( since ▁renamed ▁D war f ▁House ) ▁is ▁still ▁in ▁operation , ▁and ▁the ▁company ▁oper ates ▁other ▁D war f ▁House ▁locations ▁in ▁the ▁met ro ▁Atlanta ▁area . ▁He ▁married ▁Je ann ette , ▁and ▁they ▁had