Almost two years ago I wrote:
Jimmy Carter is 98, and in hospice care meaning he will die quite soon. Almost every decent person can only admire the work he has done as a former President, and his work ethic where he was still active into his late 90s.
He was not a successful President. I was just starting to follow US politics in 1980 when Reagan got elected and thought the US chose well. Most historians rank Carter in the third quartile, so a poor President, but not one of the truly terrible ones.
But as a former President, he has worked tirelessly for good causes. Not holding international talkfests, but actually getting out there and making a difference.
His Carter Centre has helped eradicate diseases and provided election observers for many decades. He has been a major figure in Habitat for Humanity which has built 35 million houses. Carter himself has led work projects constricting over 4,000 houses – and doing this well into his 90s.
He is a man of deep faith who has been teaching Sunday School at his local church since the 1980s. He even carried on teaching while battling cancer.
He is a great example of someone you can profoundly disagree with politically, but still respect immensely.
He made 100 years old, which was a pleasant surprise, but finally succumbed. The world is a worst place for his passing. To still be helping build houses for needy people at age 95 is astonishing. An incredible work ethic.
The post RIP Jimmy Carter first appeared on Kiwiblog.
