London: A restaurant owner in Ohio who served US President Barack Obama breakfast on a campaign stop died hours later.
Josephine Harris, who owned Ann’s Place in Akron, was taken to hospital after she complained of fatigue and a tingling feeling.
She suffered cardiac arrest while en route and was pronounced dead shortly after 11 am.
Obama had arrived at the restaurant at about 08:30, ordering two eggs “over easy”, bacon and wheat toast.
The Summit County medical examiner’s office said that Harris had died of natural causes and there would be no autopsy.
In a statement, White House press secretary Jay Carney said that Obama had called the owner’s daughter from Air Force One to express “his sorrow and his condolences”.
“He was honoured to meet [Ms Harris] this morning and passed on his feeling that the whole family is in his thoughts and prayers,” the BBC quoted Carney as saying.
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Harris had hugged Obama when she met him at her restaurant.
“I’m sure this was her highlight. She loved Obama,” Frankie Adkins, her sister, said.
ANI
First Published: Saturday, July 07, 2012, 16:03