TAOS, N.M. — From spending more than a decade preparing food for some of the world's most influential people as the White House executive chef to appearing on the Food Network's “Iron Chef America” show in 2006, Walter Scheib is being remembered for his culinary creations and charity work.
Scheib's body was found Sunday night after a weeklong search that started when his girlfriend reported him missing. He failed to return from a June 13 hike in the mountains near the Taos Ski Valley.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of his death. Investigators were combing the area for clues Monday while waiting for a preliminary autopsy report.
Scheib recently moved from Florida to Taos. He was 61.
He spent 11 years leading the White House kitchen under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He was in charge of a full-time staff of five and oversaw a part-time staff of 20.
Scheib was known for refocusing the White House kitchen on distinctly American cuisine with seasonal ingredients and contemporary flavors. He was responsible for preparing everything from first family meals to formal state dinners.
Both presidential families released statements Monday saying they were saddened by his tragic death.
Laura Bush called Scheib an outstanding talent, referring to his many magnificent dinners. Bill Clinton said his family was grateful to have Scheib with them in the White House for six years.
“Walter used his immense talents not only to represent the very best of American cuisine to visiting leaders, but to make a difference in people's lives across the country through his support of numerous charities,” Clinton said.
Scheib's creations were served to many world leaders, including Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Vicente Fox, Nelson Mandela and Boris Yeltsin.
A graduate of New York's Culinary Institute of America in 1979, Scheib went on to work at grand hotels in Florida and West Virginia before becoming White House executive chef in 1994.
Scheib in March visited Western Pennsylvania to help kick off the first Washington County Restaurant Week. He appeared at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino's banquet and conference center in North Strabane.
“I spent a lot of my youth fishing and hiking and swimming, all in the southern Pennsylvania area,” Scheib, who was born in California but raised in Bethesda, Md., told the Tribune-Review around the time of his visit.
