Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher aka Joe the Plumber was married and had four children with his wife. Let’s meet his spouse Katie Schanen and their kids.
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher made a name for himself as a conservative activist and commentator.
His confrontation on former president Barack Obama during one of his campaign trials shot him to fame and he was nicknamed Joe the Plumber.
In 2022, Wurzelbacher was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He passed away on August 27, 2023, at the age of 49.
Following his death, many are curious to know more about his bereaved family, especially his wife and children. Read on for more about his personal life.
Who was Joe the Plumber married to?
Wurzelbacher was born on December 3, 1973, in Toledo, Ohio, United States. His parents are Kay Wurzelbacher (mother) and Frank Wurzelbacher (father).
While he was growing up, his family moved to Florida when he was young, then returned to Toledo when he was in the middle of high school.
After high school, Wurzelbacher enlisted in the United States Air Force, and chose plumbing (Air Force Specialty Code 3E451, or Utility Systems Specialist) as his area of training. He was stationed in Alaska and North Dakota.
Wurzelbacher left the Air Force in 1996 and worked as a plumber’s assistant, but then switched careers and started working for the telecommunications company Global Crossing.
Along the line, he got married and divorced and years later, married his current spouse whom he lived with for years before his tragic passing.
Who is Joe the Plumber’s wife?
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher commonly known as “Joe the Plumber” was married twice in his lifetime before he died. His first marriage was before he gained fame and his second was after he had become an internet sensation.
At the time he was switching careers to find what best works for him, he married his first wife whose name is not known to the media. The former couple became parents but then divorced.
On 18 Oct 2011, he married his second wife, Katie Schanen. Wurzelbacher and Schanen’s wedding took place in Maumee, Ohio, on Saturday.
Per Politico, their wedding announcement read: “Joe met Katie, through his political involvement following the 2008 election. They look forward to a long and happy life together in Joe’s hometown of Holland, OH. Joe’s son, Joey Wurzelbacher, 16, says he is happy to call Katie ‘Mom.’ As Mr. Wurzelbacher contemplates running for Congress in Ohio’s Ninth Congressional District, Katie says she will support whatever decision he makes, ‘I’m sure he will make as good a Congressman as he will a husband.’ The couple will be celebrating their honeymoon here in Ohio over the next week.”
Wurzelbacher’s death was confirmed by his wife, Katie Wurzelbacher, on August 28, 2023. Heartbroken Katie spoke good will of her late partner and opened up more about their lives together.
“Our hearts are broken. We lost a beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend. He made an impact on so many lives,” she wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“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.’
“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,” she added.
Did Joe the Plumber have any children?
Joe the Plumber was a father of four before his death.
He first had a son with his first wife before they divorced.
The remaining three of his children were welcomed during his marriage to his second wife, Katie.
Who was ‘Joe the Plumber’?
Wurzelbacher was a conservative activist and commentator who was born on December 3, 1973, in Toledo, Ohio.
He rose to fame as a member of the Republican Party after he confronted then-presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008 on his tax plan.
The interaction made headlines for weeks and ultimately inspired him to write the book, Joe the Plumber: Fighting for the American Dream.
“He’s a patriot who became instantly famous for simply asking a question that millions of us wanted asked,” the book’s description reads.
At this time, additional details on Wurzelbacher’s personal life are unclear.