Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is a native of Toledo, Ohio. He became known nationwide as “Joe the Plumber” when 2008 presidential candidate Barak Obama was on the campaign trail in Ohio. Wurzelbacher confronted Obama about his proposed tax plan and grilled him about how the plan seemed like it would negatively effect him as a small business owner.
After the confrontation, Wurzelbacher attended Republican campaign events alongside presidential candidate John McCain. He became known as “Joe the Plumber,” a regular man that represented regular Americans.
It was at one of these events that he met the woman who would become his wife, Katie. On a fundraising website, Katie explained, “I was working for a non-profit in Milwaukee, and Joe was flying into town to be a speaker at one of our events. I was his designated chauffeur for the weekend, so I got to pick him up from the airport. Outside of the event, we pretty much hung out and talked all weekend. I moved to Toledo a month later!”
The happy couple married in 2011, and they have three children together, Samantha Jo, Henry, and Sarah Jo.
In 2022, Wurzelbacher started experiencing pain that eventually got so bad that he went to the emergency room. He was eventually diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer. He was scheduled for surgery and chemotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, in August 2023, Wurzelbacher lost his battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife and their children, as well as his son Joey from a previous relationship. He was 49 years old.
In a statement to FOX News, Katie explained, “Our hearts are broken. We lost a beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend. He made an impact on so many lives.”
After Wurzelbacher was diagnosed with cancer, a fundraiser was set up to help support his family. The side effects from chemotherapy made it hard for him to continue working. At the time of publication, the fundraiser has raised over $150,000.
On August 27, an update to the fundraiser shares the sad news of Wurzelbacher’s death. The update explains, “Joe passed away earlier this morning and entered our Lord’s heavenly home.” The statement continued, “Joe had been too sick/in too much pain to get out of bed lately and his goal was to get Katie and their kids moved to her hometown surrounded by family. They moved a week ago and Joe got a huge smile on his face and told Katie, ‘We did it!’”
Wurzelbacher was an Air Force veteran who loved being a plumber. He also enjoyed his stint in politics but was also happy to return to plumbing.
Shortly before his death, Wurzelbacher made a comment that summed up his view of life, “God doesn’t promise us an easy road. He just promises to be there for us when we go on these roads.”
Rest in peace.
