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Normally this would be the time that I would write my annual New Year’s article, outlining my thoughts of the past year and my goals for the year to come.  Instead, I will delay those thoughts for one week so I can join the chorus of those around the world that are honoring the memory of our 39^th president, Jimmy Carter.

President Carter died today at the age of 100.  He survived his wife of 75 years, Rosalyn Smith Carter, by two years.  In the past year or two I have hoped that Carter would make it to 100 years.  The fact that he did in spite of cancer, declining health, and advanced age are a testament to the strong will and constitution of this man.

He will not be remembered as America’s greatest president, though he did have some great singular accomplishments.   He will not be remembered as Georgia’s greatest governor, serving only one term, though he did have significant achievements during his time in office.

Jimmy Carter will, however, always be remembered as America’s greatest former president, serving in that role for nearly 44 years following his landslide defeat by Ronald Reagon.  During that time, he visited over 125 countries, serving as an ambassador for the United States, a monitor for fair elections in democracies around the world, a champion for affordable housing, and an advocate for solutions to health problems around the world.

Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his skillful diplomacy leading to the Camp David Accords, resulting in peace between Egypt and Israel.  The continued conflicts in the Middle East today are an indication of what an accomplishment the agreements between these two countries were in 1978.

President Carter was an unlikely candidate for president in 1976.  The country was reeling from Watergate and Carter had only served one term as Governor of Georgia.  He was often called a “peanut farmer”, though he really was in the business of shelling and processing peanuts grown by other farmers.  I should know because that was the same business my family was in for four generations.

I had the occasion to meet President and Mrs. Carter several times.  They visited Donalsonville in 1983 when the Hugh D. Broome, Sr. Parkway was dedicated.  I was the President of the Chamber of Commerce at the time and joined Mayor Alf Greene of Iron City and Mayor Marty Shingler of Donalsonville, along with our wives in a photograph with the Carters on the front porch of the house of Judge and Mrs. Julian Webb.  Later, our company would restore the Webb Home to be our offices.

I am not sure I would have voted for Carter as governor had I been a Georgia resident in the 1970’s.  I never met him in his role as the owner of a peanut company, though I did know at the time his brother, Billy, who ran the company on a day-to-day basis.

However, I will forever hold Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter in high regard because of the manner in which they lived out their lives as a former President and First Lady.  They exhibited grace and dignity while using their platform to make the world a better place.

Together, they demonstrated their faith openly, without hesitation.  They acknowledged their own faults and shortcomings, but they never hesitated in living by example.

It is not that Jimmy Carter lived in a less partisan political world.  It was tough then, just as it is now.  But he never let politics define who he was.  His faith, hard work, and desire to make a difference in the world continued until the last days of his long and fruitful life.

Jimmy Carter was a better man than he was president.  At the end of the day, especially in these very challenging political times, I think that is something admirable beyond measure.