The death of former President Barack Obama’s chef last month was ruled an accidental drowning by the Massachusetts medical examiner.
Tafari Campbell, 45, was found dead in a pond near the Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard residence on July 24, a day after he went missing while paddle boarding in Edgartown Great Pond. The Obamas were not at the residence at the time of his drowning.
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Timothy McGuirk, a spokesman for the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said his death was determined to be an accidental drowning following “submersion in a body of water,” ABC News reported.
Campbell had worked for the Obamas during their time at the White House and continued working for them following Obama’s departure from office. Barack and Michelle Obama released a joint statement expressing their condolences following news of his death.
“Tafari was a beloved part of our 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. 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,” they said.
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“That’s why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed,” they added. “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 had previously worked as a sous chef during the George W. Bush administration and was the only one of four chefs asked to stay on after the change in administrations in 2009, according to the Daily Mail.
