“Joe the Plumber,” the man who rose to stardom for confronting Barack Obama on the campaign trail in 2008, died Sunday. He was 49.

His real name was Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. Wurzelbacher announced in July he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His wife Katie Wurzelbacher confirmed his death.

“Our hearts are broken. We lost a beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend. He made an impact on so many lives,” Katie Wurzelbacher wrote in a statement.

“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. “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, who owned a plumbing business, became famous when he confronted Obama at a 2008 campaign. He accused Obama’s tax plan of conflicting with the American dream. Obama countered that the plan would help small businesses grow more quickly.

The press quickly dubbed him “Joe the Plumber,” and Obama’s Republican rival, John McCain, capitalized on the frenzy by referencing Wurzelbacher multiple times during the third and final presidential debate. He also joined McCain on the campaign trail.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.