Barack and Michelle Obama call Tafari Campbell, a former White House sous chef, 'a beloved part of our family' in a touching tribute after he drowned near the family's home.
- Jul 25, 2023
AceShowbiz - The Obamas are grieving over the loss of their private chef. Barack and Michelle Obama have paid a touching tribute to Tafari Campbell, a former White House sous chef who later became the couple's personal chef, after he died on Monday, July 24 in a paddle boarding accident near the family's Katama estate in Martha's Vineyard.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Obamas called Campbell "a beloved part of our family." The statement read, "When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House - creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together. In the years that followed, we got to know him as a warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter."
The statement continued, "That's why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed. He's been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he's gone." The couple added, "Today we join everyone who knew and loved Tafari - especially his wife Sherise and their twin boys, Xavier and Savin - in grieving the loss of a truly wonderful man."
According to reports, Campbell, who was employed by the Obamas, was visiting Martha's Vineyard. The former U.S. president and the former First Lady were not present at home at the time of the incident.
The chef was reported missing while paddle boarding on Sunday. The search started at 7:46 P.M. ET on Sunday when Martha's Vineyard police and fire agencies responded to a 911 call for "a male paddle boarder who had gone into the water, appeared to briefly struggle to stay on the surface, and then submerged and did not resurface."
Campbell, who was from Dumfries, Virginia, was recovered by divers from a pond on Edgartown Great Road on Monday shortly before 10 A.M. ET. "MSP Underwater Recovery Unit divers made the recovery after the victim's body was located by Massachusetts Environmental Police Officers deploying side-scan sonar from a boat," the department said in the release, noting the recovery was made "approximately 100 feet from shore at a depth of about eight feet."
Campbell was not wearing a life jacket, police said. He was 45 and is survived by his wife and their twin boys.
