Former WVa health agency cabinet secretary Paul Nusbaum dies | Celebrity Deaths

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A funeral service was held Friday for Paul Nusbaum, a former cabinet secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

Nusbaum died Tuesday at age 71, the DHHR said in a statement, which did not disclose a cause of death.

He served as cabinet secretary from 2001 to 2005 under Gov. Bob Wise.

Before that, Nusbaum worked as a health care consultant for hospitals and nursing homes. He also developed long-term care facilities throughout West Virginia. At the time of his death, Nusbaum was a board member for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.

“Paul’s life was committed to improving the health of all West Virginians, particularly the most vulnerable,” DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch said. “Initiatives and programs he championed at DHHR allowed for many successes in the years that followed. I am honored to call him my friend and join his family and all those who loved him in mourning his loss.”