President David Snell statement on the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter

President David Snell statement on the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter

It is often said that behind every great man is a woman.  There are times, though, when that’s not accurate, times when beside some great men is a woman.  That is the case with Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter.

Throughout their 77 years of marriage, she stood by his side, with grace during the good times and dignity during the difficult ones.  She was his friend, his counselor and his greatest supporter, and quietly went about being one of the outstanding women of our times.

Her work in helping God’s people in need to have a decent home is widely known.  Less known is her advocacy for caregivers, something so powerful that Georgia Southwestern State University established the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.  She never aspired to the glamour that many in her position seek.  She lived in a pup tent in Tijuana, a tepee in South Dakota and former Russian barracks in Hungary.

When they left the White House, the Carters returned to their modest ranch house on Woodland Drive in Plains.  She leaves a great legacy in the many houses she helped build, the diseases she helped cure in Africa, and caregivers everywhere who owe her a debt of gratitude.

Her beloved Monarch butterflies will make their journey south this year without their greatest advocate and friend.

We pray for President Carter and their family in this time of sadness.

— David Snell, President, The Fuller Center for Housing

Rosalynn Carter official tribute site