Recently retired Vice President Phail Wynn dies Tuesday

Less than a month after retiring from his role as vice president of Durham and regional affairs at Duke, Phail Wynn has died.

Wynn, 70, died suddenly of natural causes at his home on Tuesday, the University said in a news release. The former vice president had been at Duke since 2008, and before that had been president of Durham Technical Community College for nearly 30 years. 

U.S. Representative G.K. Butterfield, of North Carolina's 1st District, took to Twitter to remember Wynn.

"I was shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Phail Wynn," Butterfield wrote in a tweet Wednesday morning. "Leader, mentor, advocate, and friend are a few words that come to mind to describe what Phail meant to me. Durham, and the entire state of North Carolina, has lost a giant."

Duke has lowered its flag to half-mast in his honor. 

Wynn said last month he was happy with the progress he had made getting Duke students and employees out into Durham.

"Slowly but surely that's happened, and I'm pleased with where things are now, in terms of the closeness of the connections and the trust that's been rebuilt," Wynn said as he spent an hour showing The Chronicle some of his favorite spots in the city he had dedicated nearly 40 years of his life to.

Wynn stepped down from his vice presidency June 30, and is set to be succeeded by Stelfanie Williams, Trinity ‘98 and president of Vance-Granville Community College.