Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, passed away on December 29 at the age of 100, a remarkable milestone. Known for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, he transformed his legacy from a one-term president to a revered humanitarian through his extensive post-presidential work.

Carter’s death was confirmed by his son, James E. Carter III, and reported by The Washington Post. The Carter Center also shared the news on social media. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, had passed away in 2023, and Carter made his final public appearance to mourn her loss. His four children—Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy—carry on his legacy.

In 2019, Carter became the longest-living U.S. president and had the longest post-presidential life. After a series of hospital stays in early 2023, the Carter Center announced that he entered hospice care, choosing to spend his remaining days at home surrounded by family. His grandson, Jason Carter, described the hospice experience as a “real blessing” and a meaningful part of Carter’s faith journey.

Despite numerous health struggles over the years, including a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter remained active into his 90s, continuing to support Habitat for Humanity, attend church, and teach Sunday school. He even resumed work with Habitat for Humanity after a fall in 2017. Throughout his life, Carter emphasized using one’s talents for the greater good, reflecting on his marriage with Rosalynn as central to his vitality.

Carter’s journey to the White House was unconventional. A son of the South, he transitioned from a naval officer and nuclear scientist to a peanut farmer and the progressive governor of Georgia. His 1976 victory made him the first president from the Deep South since the Civil War. Though his presidency faced economic difficulties and international challenges, Carter brokered lasting peace between Egypt and Israel, reestablished relations with China, and advanced human rights globally.

Though he lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan, Carter’s post-presidential years set a new standard for engagement. Together with Rosalynn, he founded The Carter Center, advancing peace, democracy, and human rights. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for these efforts.

Carter remained grounded, known as the modest peanut farmer despite his global prominence. His lifelong friend, Wayne Harpster, remembered their decades of fishing trips and close friendship. Throughout it all, Carter’s devotion to his wife, Rosalynn, remained unwavering. Their enduring relationship was marked by a shared mission to improve the world through The Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity.

Carter’s cousin, Betty Pope, summed up his life, stating, “He wanted to make sure every day of his life he was able to do what he was charged to do personally — which, he felt, was to try to make peace and improve the world.”