Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, aged 99, who entered hospice care in February, made a rare public appearance on Tuesday. He attended a memorial service in Atlanta for his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who passed away on November 19.
In a wheelchair and clad in a dark suit and tie, the frail-looking Carter entered the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. He was assisted to the front row, near his wife's flower-covered casket, surrounded by his children. Across his lap was a blue-and-white blanket embroidered with a smiling portrait of Rosalynn, with whom he shared 77 years of marriage.
Though Jimmy Carter did not address mourners during the service, his son James Earl "Chip" Carter III kissed him on the forehead after delivering a heartfelt tribute to Rosalynn, referring to her as "the glue" that held the family together.
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The former president, who has faced various health issues, including cancer, opted to cease medical intervention and entered hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia, nine months ago. His wife, diagnosed with dementia, joined him in hospice care just days before her demise.
The Carters were the longest-married U.S. presidential couple, having wed in 1946 when he was 21 and she was 18.
During the memorial, their daughter, Amy Carter, shared excerpts from a letter Jimmy Carter wrote to Rosalynn while serving in the Navy.
In it, he expressed, "My darling, every time I've ever been away from you, I have been thrilled when I returned to discover just how wonderful you are. When I see you, I fall in love all over again."
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The Carters final joint public appearance was in September at the Plains Peanut Festival in their rural hometown. Both were dressed in attire bearing the logo of Habitat for Humanity, the non-profit they passionately supported that focused on providing affordable housing.
As late as 2019, when he was 95 years old, he worked for several days a year alongside his wife as a volunteer for Habitat.
Jason Carter, one of the former president's grandsons, shared with the New York Times shortly before the service, "He's coming to the end, and he's very, very physically diminished. He has been this moral rock for so many people, but she really was that rock for him."
(With inputs from Reuters)
