July 24 (UPI) — The body of a one-time White House chef described as “beloved” by former President Barack Obama was recovered in Massachusetts after he went missing while paddleboarding, police said Monday.
Massachusetts State Police announced that after a search of Edgartown Great Pond in Martha’s Vineyard, divers on Monday recovered the body of Tafari Campbell, 45, of Dumfries, Va.
Authorities said his body was found approximately 100 feet from shore at a depth of about 8 feet. An investigation into Campbell’s death is being conducted by the State Police Detective Unit for the Cape and Islands District and by Edgartown Police.
Police said Campbell was still employed by the former president and first lady Michelle Obama and was visiting their Martha’s Vineyard residence at the time of his death. The former first couple were not present at the home at the time of the incident, they added.
The Obamas described Campbell, a sous chef, as a “beloved part of our family” in a statement posted to Twitter, praising his ability to “bring people together” and describing him as a “warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all our lives a little brighter.”
They said that after meeting him in the White House, they invited him to stay with them after leaving office in 2016, adding, “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,” they said.
