Joe The Plumber, whose real name was Joe Wurzelbacher, died at the age of 49 from pancreatic cancer.

Wurzelbacher’s claim to fame was during the 2008 presidential campaign after he confronted former President Barack Obama about whether or not his tax plan would end up costing him more. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year.

The news of Wurzelbacher’s death was shared in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter by conservative radio host Derek Hunter on Sunday afternoon. “Horrible news. 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.” He attached a link to the fundraising platform GiveSendGo where the deceased’s family had opened a fundraiser.

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Who was Joe The Plumber?

Joe Wurzelbacher was a military veteran who became a plumber in Toledo, Ohio. It is also where he confronted Obama. He became a household name after he was frequently mentioned during the debates between Obama and late Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain at the time.

According to his GiveSendGo page, he had been receiving medical treatment an the Ann Arbor Virginia Hospital in Michigan as well at the University of Michigan Hospital.

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“Joe had been having stomach issues for about 3 months, which eventually became painful. On December 26th, he’d had enough of the pain and we went to the VA emergency room in Ann Arbor,” Wurzelbacher’s wife, Katie wrote in his fundraising campaign. “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.”

Wurzelbacher is survived his wife, Katie whom he married in 2011, and their three children.