MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Who was Loretta Fuddy? Woman who authenticated Barack Obama's birth certificate died in plane crash in 2013

The death of Tafari Campbell, a personal chef to the Obama family, has thrust Loretta Fuddy back into the spotlight

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MASSACHUSETTS: The passing of Tafari Campbell, a personal chef to the Obama family, has thrust Loretta Fuddy, the Hawaiian health official involved in verifying former president Barack Obama's birth certificate, back into the spotlight. Campbell tragically died over the weekend while paddleboarding near the former first family's residence on Martha's Vineyard.

Conspiracy theories

The social media landscape was inundated with wild and unproven theories questioning the circumstances surrounding Campbell's death. Numerous tweets made references to Fuddy, who died in a plane crash in Hawaii in 2013, the only fatality among the passengers on board. Some netizens claim seeing a pattern.

"Tafari Campbell isn't the only person who has died inexplicably in Obama's orbit. Did you know that the woman who verified the authenticity of Obama's birth certificate, Loretta Fuddy, was the only person to die in a plane crash in Hawaii in 2013? Everyone else survived," one tweeted. "People around Obama seem to have a habit of drowning. Look up Loretta Fuddy," another wrote. "Remember Loretta Fuddy....the person who released 'Barack Obama' birth certificate. IMHO, these passengers were fully prepped! Fuddy wasn't! This is so heartbreaking, but I'll add this to the Obama drowning count!" someone else alleged. 

It is extremely crucial to emphasize on the fact that these claims lack any substantiatial evidence, and there is no link between these deaths and the Obamas. Such speculations remain baseless and fall into the realm of unfounded conspiracy theories.

Who was Loretta Fuddy?

Loretta Jean Fuddy, a health official and social worker from Hawaii, held the dual roles of Director of the Hawaii Department of Health and Mayor of Kalawao County from 2011 until her death. Born on April 12, 1948, and affectionately known as "Deliana," she grew up in Kaimuki, Oahu, and graduated from Sacred Hearts Academy. Her upbringing inspired her to pursue a career in public service, driven by the ethos of the Kennedy era and Catholic values. Fuddy earned degrees in sociology, social work and public health from the University of Hawaii, and pursued doctoral studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

A practitioner of the Subud spiritualist movement, Fuddy played a pivotal role in health and human services for four decades. Her most notable moment came as the Director of the Hawaii Department of Health in 2011 when she approved the release of Obama's long-form birth certificate. The move was in response to the unfounded claims of "birthers" who questioned the authenticity of the former president's birth in the US.

On December 11, 2013, tragedy struck during a routine visit to Kalawao County, where she met with Hansen's disease patients. After concluding the meeting, Fuddy boarded a plane bound for Honolulu, but the Makani Kai Cessna Caravan 208B crashed into the Pacific Ocean shortly after takeoff from Kalaupapa Airport. Despite rescue efforts, Fuddy, aged 65, died of a cardiac arrest while awaiting assistance. The eight other occupants on the plane, including Deputy Health Director Keith Yamamoto and Kalaupapa National Park administrator Rosa Key, survived the crash.