Barack Obama's 'beloved' personal chef found dead in lake near family home
25 July 2023, 12:26
The personal chef of Barack Obama has been found dead near the family's home in the US state of Massachusetts.
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Tafari Campbell, 45, was pulled out of Edgartown Great Pond, near the Obamas' holiday home on the island of Martha's Vineyard on Monday.
The former US president and his family were not staying on the island at the time of Mr Campbell's death.
Mr Campbell, who was still working for the Obamas, had gone paddle-boarding on Sunday in the 890-acre lake, which borders the Atlantic Ocean.
A search party was sent out on Sunday evening after he didn't come back, and he was discovered on Monday.
The Obamas said they were heartbroken that Mr Campbell had died.
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"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," the couple said in the statement.
"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."
"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."
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They added: "He's been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he's gone," the Obamas said, adding that he was a "warm, fun and extraordinarily kind person".
Mr Campbell is survived by his wife and twin sons.
The Obamas said: "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."
