Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher addresses a campaign rally with Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in the gymnasium at Mentor High School October 30, 2008 in Mentor, Ohio.Photo:Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Joe Wurzelbacher, who rose to fame as “Joe the Plumber” after challenging then-presidential candidateBarack Obamaon his tax plan in 2008, died on Sunday at the age of 49, according to multiple reports.
US Republican presidential candidate John McCain (L) shakes hands with “Joe the Plumber”.ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty
Wurzelbacher’s wife, Katie Wurzelbacher, wrote that doctors “ran tests and performed scans which showed a mass in the head of his pancreas,” noting he had lost 70 pounds.
Last month, Wurzelbacher spoke withCBN’s Faithwireabout his diagnosis.
“I just honestly started crying,” he told the outlet. “There’s a lot of great people out there…they’re wanting to do good and, when they find they’re able to, most people will.”
“It’s astounding and just gives you more faith in people,” he added, per the outlet. “My wife and I sat and cried for a while and thanked God.”
“They know daddy has stomach problems and that I’m sick, but they don’t know the full scope of things,” he told the outlet. “Until it becomes necessary to say anything, I don’t want them thinking about losing their father.”
“God doesn’t promise us an easy road,” Wurzelbacher told the outlet. “He just promises to be there for us when we go on these roads.”
The former plumber cemented himself in the political limelight at Obama’s 2008 campaign stop near his hometown.
Obama acknowledged that Wurzelbacher would face higher taxes, but wanted to offer smaller businesses a tax break to “spread the wealth around,” per the outlet.
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Republican Sen.John McCain, who was running against Obama, then brought Wurzelbacher along on his campaign stops with his running mate, former Alaska Gov.Sarah Palin. Wurzelbacher became a point of focus at the final presidential debate between McCain and Obama, with “Joe the Plumber” becoming a way to reference the average American.
“I once told Joe that he was a walking metaphor,” friend Kerri Toloczko wrote onFacebook. “He was a remarkable combination of humble and brash. He was a metaphor for what American citizens should be: more important than government with the right to speak truth to power — and the courage. His response? ‘I was just worried about my bank account. I need to go try and get an interview with that guy …'”
“Classic,” Toloczko continued, adding “prayers of comfort and strength” as Katie and his children “weather Joe’s loss with a full portion of gratitude for his life and a full portion of grief.”
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source: people.com
