Honoring Jimmy Carter: A Life Filled with Meaning and Purpose

“Jimmy Carter serves as a model of living a life full of meaning and purpose, grounded in principles, faith, and humility, dedicated to the service of others,” Biden stated during his speech from the Company House Hotel in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands.

“On behalf of the global community and the entire nation, we extend our deepest sympathies and gratitude for sharing President Carter with us for so many years,” he added, offering condolences to the entire Carter family.

James Earl Carter, Jr.—the former U.S. president, Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 2002, and peanut farmer—rose from his modest beginnings in a farming family in Plains, Georgia, to serve as the nation’s 39th president from 1977 to 1981.

He led the United States through a term marked by significant economic challenges and the transition from the Watergate scandal to the Reagan era of the 1980s.

After leaving office, Carter devoted himself to international conflict resolution, contributing to initiatives such as the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity and participating in peace negotiations.

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“Just reflect on his life and accomplishments,” Biden remarked. “He fought to eliminate diseases both domestically and globally. He brokered peace, championed civil rights and human rights, and promoted democratic elections worldwide.

“He personally built homes for the homeless, and his empathy and moral clarity uplifted and transformed lives across the globe.”

Biden expressed his gratitude to Carter for his support during a challenging time in his own life, following the death of his son Beau Biden from cancer. “Cancer united our two families, as it has for many others. When [Beau] passed, Jimmy and Rosa were there to help us heal.”

He added that Carter believed in America’s capacity to overcome cancer with the right investments. “He believed that, just as I do,” Biden affirmed.

In recent years, Carter had been treated for a serious form of skin cancer that had metastasized to his liver and brain, although it went into remission following treatment. His father succumbed to pancreatic cancer while Carter was on active naval duty in 1953, leading him to return to Plains to manage the family business, Carter Farms.

Biden commended both Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Smith for exemplifying a “timeless love story.” The couple shared 77 years of marriage. Rosalynn passed away in 2023, and Carter was last seen publicly at her funeral.

“I will deeply miss them both. Take comfort in knowing, as our children say, that they are once again united, forever in our hearts, but together again,” Biden expressed.

The couple had four children: sons John William Carter, James Earl Carter III, and Donnel Jeffery Carter; and daughter Amy Lynn Carter, in addition to 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Biden described Carter as a man of exceptional character, noting he was the longest-serving president in U.S. history.

“I have always been proud to say that I was the first national figure to endorse him during his presidential campaign in 1976,” Biden declared. “There was an overwhelming reason for that—his character.”

“He never ceased to be that Sunday school teacher at his Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia,” Biden shared.

“The one aspect I admired most about him was his belief that—he truly believed this, and I share this belief—everyone deserves a fair chance. No guarantees, just an opportunity … he provided countless individuals with a chance.”

“I truly admired him,” the president stated.

“Some may view Jimmy Carter as a figure from a past era, embodying honesty and character, faith and humility that still matter. But I argue it’s not merely a relic of the past. I see him as a man not just for our times but for all times, someone who embodies the fundamental human values we must never allow to fade away.

“We should all strive to emulate some of the qualities of Jimmy Carter,” he concluded. “I think what Jimmy Carter represents is fundamental decency, and that’s exactly what the rest of the world expects from America. The global community looks to us, and he was someone worth looking to.”

The president concluded by stating that his administration would collaborate with the Carter family to ensure that Carter is appropriately remembered in the United States and around the globe.

The president also confirmed that Carter will be honored with a state funeral in Washington. Carter had requested that Biden deliver a eulogy when the time came during a visit to the former president in hospice care in 2023.