Joe Wurzelbacher, also known as "Joe the Plumber," passed away over the weekend from pancreatic cancer, according to the Daily Caller. He was 49 years old.
Wurzelbacher drew media attention in 2007 when he questioned then-candidate Barack Obama about his tax plan at a campaign event in his home state of Ohio.
The plumber and Air Force veteran was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer late last year.
Conservative commentator Derek Hunter shared the news of Wurzelbacher's death in a Sunday afternoon post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"Horrible news," Hunter wrote. "My good friend Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, passed away this morning at the age of 49 from pancreatic cancer," Hunter wrote. "He was a good man and an exceptional friend. Please consider helping his widow and young children here."
A GiveSendGo fund had been set up to help the family with medical expenses while Wurzelbacher was being treated. The campaign had raised more than $134,000 as of Monday morning.
The Caller reported that Wurzelbacher had been receiving medical treatment at the Ann Arbor VA hospital in Michigan, as well as the University of Michigan Hospital.
"Joe had been having stomach issues for about 3 months, which eventually became painful," Wurzelbacher's wife, Katie, wrote on his GiveSendGo page. "On December 26th, he'd had enough of the pain and we went to the VA emergency room in Ann Arbor. They ran tests and performed scans which showed a mass in the head of his pancreas. The mass was restricting one of his biliary ducts, so they classified it as Stage 3 cancer."
In an interview with Faithwire last month, Wurzelbacher said he was turning to God in belief and praying for a miracle, while taking steps to prepare his family for an uncertain future.
"God doesn't promise us an easy road," Wurzelbacher said then. "He just promises to be there for us when we go on these roads."
Wurzelbacher leaves behind his wife, Katie, whom he married in 2011, and their three young children, as well as an adult son from a previous marriage.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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