The wife of the Obama family’s personal chef said she’s “broken” after her husband died from drowning off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.
“My heart is broken. My life and our family’s life is forever changed,” Sherise wrote alongside an Instagram photo of Tafari Campbell in a kitchen.
“Please pray for me and our families as I deal with the loss of my husband.. @cheftafari.”
Massachusetts State Police received word about a missing paddle boarder Sunday night after a witness spotted a man struggling “to stay on the surface” before submerging under water.
The following morning, officials found 45-year-old Campbell’s body “approximately 100 feet from shore at a depth of about eight feet.”
Neither President Barack Obama nor former First Lady Michelle Obama had been at their island estate over the weekend.
The Obama family released a statement after the tragedy, calling Campbell “a beloved part of [their] family.”
“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 statement read.
“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 famed family’s 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.
“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.”
Campbell first served as the sous chef in the White House kitchen during Barack’s two-term presidency before working for them on a personal level full-time.
