A mourner in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington weeps while gazing upon the casket of former President Jimmy Carter.
Friends, dignitaries, staff members, and everyday admirers from around the world poured out love and grief after the Dec. 29 death at age 100 of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who co-founded The Carter Center with his wife, Rosalynn, in 1982.
The Center’s official condolence book at JimmyCarterTribute.org logged more than 23,000 messages from people in 155 countries, provinces, and territories.
“President Jimmy Carter has been a beacon of light, a leader for peace, love, the environment and humanity, a true citizen of the world. His legacy will continue to improve and inspire lives near and far.”
As the motorcade passed through each city, it slowed down for mourners to pay their respects to the late president.
An Icon of Peace
Aggrey Kipngetich of Nairobi, Kenya, wrote: “President Jimmy Carter was an icon of peace, human rights crusader, world’s moral compass and committed family man. May (his) soul rest in heavenly peace.”
Then-President Joe Biden, President-elect Donald Trump, and former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton and their spouses offered their condolences, as did numerous Cabinet officials, members of Congress, and other prominent figures.
Tributes to a Former President
Many of the Carter Center’s more than 3,500 staff members in 20-plus countries around the globe organized gatherings or tribute services in honor of President Carter. They hung banners in their offices and provided condolence books for guests — including government dignitaries — to sign.
Writing on behalf of himself and his staff, Dr. Emmanuel Miri, the Center’s longtime country representative in Nigeria, offered this reflection:
“For us, this is indeed a monumental loss of immeasurable proportion! It is easy as Nigerians to realize this as we imagine an alternative reality in our public health space: What if he did not intervene to lead the campaign for the eradication of Guinea worm disease in Nigeria? What if he had called it quits in the face of enormous challenges?”
Miri added: “We are, therefore, inspired by this reflection and the legacy President Carter and his wife painstakingly built in Nigeria and other countries worldwide, to take upon ourselves, individually and collectively, the challenge of sustaining this vision and legacy.”
A family pays its respects to President Carter as the hearse bearing his remains rolls by on its journey from southwest Georgia to Atlanta. (Photo: The Carter Center/ B. Gray)
What if he did not intervene to lead the campaign for the eradication of Guinea worm disease in Nigeria? What if he had called it quits in the face of enormous challenges?
A Century-Long Journey
At the state funeral held at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9, the sons of former President Gerald R. Ford and Vice President Walter Mondale read eulogies written for President Carter by their late fathers. President Biden, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, and President Carter’s grandson Jason Carter also offered words of comfort often tinged with humor.
The family then accompanied President Carter’s remains back to Georgia for a private funeral service at the tiny Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where he taught Sunday school for decades. In a nod to President Carter’s military service, a fleet of 21 Navy fighter jets roared over Plains, one of them dramatically peeling off in the traditional “missing man” formation.
As darkness fell on a cold winter night, the funeral procession crept slowly along Plains’ Main Street, which was lined with reverent mourners. The family walked behind the hearse to the home where President Carter and his beloved wife, Rosalynn, lived for more than 60 years. There he was laid to rest beside her, concluding the funeral events and ending a triumphant, century-long journey.
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