Michelle Obama pays tribute to late family chef Tafari Campbell

Michelle Obama says she feels an “emptiness” following the death of the family’s chef, opening up after Tafari Campbell’s body was found outside her and former President Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard home.

“I will miss my friend, Tafari,” the former first lady said in a Thursday Facebook post.

“The emptiness is hard,” Obama said.

“But I promise to stay strong, keep living, and honor your legacy in every way possible,” she added.

Massachusetts State Police last month identified the body of a missing paddleboarder recovered from Edgartown Great Pond as Campbell. The 45-year-old Virginia native, a personal chef for the former first family who had worked at the White House, was visiting the Obamas’ residence at the time of his death.

In a statement following his death, the Obamas called Campbell a “warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter.”

Michelle Obama, in her Thursday Facebook post, shared a photo of her and her husband smiling alongside Campbell at the White House.

“Rest in peace, my brother,” she said.