A relative of the Obama family, who worked for them in the White House and followed them after the end of the former president’s last term, died while he was at one of their Massachusetts residences.
He was paddling on a pond in Martha’s Vineyard when he drowned. Tafari Campbell, 45, was found at the Obama family home, US authorities confirmed on Monday. CNN reports that he was reported missing the day before. He “walked into the water, briefly appeared to struggle to stay on the surface, then dove and did not resurface,” according to a Massachusetts State Police press release.
Tafari Campbell drowned on Sunday. He was the former deputy chief of the White House. AP/SIPA / © Ron Edmonds
If the man was in this luxurious residence of the former presidential family, it was because he was one of their relatives. Barack and Michelle Obama explained in an email to CNN that they first met their boyfriend when he was working as an assistant secretary at the White House. He then became the couple’s personal chef at the end of the Democrat’s final term.
What happens after this ad?
The grief of the Obamas
“Tafari was a beloved member of our family,” they wrote in their statement. “When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House – creative and passionate about food and his ability to bring people together. Over the past few years we have come to know him as a warm, funny and exceptionally kind person who has made our lives that little bit better. So when we were about to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he graciously agreed. He’s been a part of our lives ever since and it breaks our hearts that he’s gone. »
What happens after this ad?
The man was married and the father of twins. The Obamas were not on this property at the time of the tragedy.
In 2019, Barack and Michelle Obama bought their massive Martha’s Vineyard complex from Boston Celtics owner and his ex-wife Corinne for $11.75 million. The Obamas and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, were already familiar with Martha’s Vineyard because they spent many of their summer vacations there during the Democratic presidency, as did the Clinton family before them.
What’s next after this ad? What’s next after this ad?
Among the island’s most famous residents is the Kennedy family, who own an impressive mansion here where generations of that dynasty vacationed or lived, such as Hyannis Port, another island treasured by the clan.