AKRON, Ohio – A restaurant owner who hosted President Obama for breakfast Friday became ill and died hours later.
Josephine “Ann” Harris of Copley Township died of natural causes, said forensic investigator Jason Grom, with the Summit County medical examiner’s office.
The 70-year-old Harris became ill at home after the Obama visit. Grom said she went into cardiac arrest while en route to a hospital.
Several hours earlier, she had hugged Obama when he showed up at her Ann’s Place restaurant for breakfast. The Akron Beacon Journal interviewed Harris afterward and described her as ecstatic.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama later called Harris’ daughter from Air Force One to express “his sorrow and his condolences. It was a very sad event. He was honored to meet (Harris) this morning and passed on his feeling that the whole family is in his thoughts and prayers.”
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