pushed him into the national spotlight, died Sunday following a battle with pancreatic cancer, his wife confirmed to NBC News. He was 49.
Last year, Wurzelbacher was diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer following a few months of stomach issues, Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama shakes hands with Wurzelbacher in Holland, Ohio, on Oct. 12, 2008."When I met Joe he was already known by everyone else as 'Joe the Plumber' but he wrote something to me that stood out and showed me who he truly was: 'just Joe,'" she said in her statement."He was an average, honorable man trying to do great things for the country he loved so deeply after being thrust into the public eye for asking a question.
Wurzelbacher in the years following his viral celebrity stardom made several comments indicating he din't enjoy the notoriety — and scrutiny — that came following his 2008 campaign question to Obama.Wurzelbacher asked whether Obama's plan