West Michigan and the much of the country continues to mourn the loss of former president and humanitarian Jimmy Carter.
And that includes some of his dearest friends like Brent Slay, who opened his home to the Carter’s multiple times throughout the years, including for the funeral of Gerald R. Ford.
Their relationship goes back over two decades, when Brent and his wife Diane started to get involved with the Carter Center, a non-profit started back in 1998 by Rosalyn and Jimmy Carter in Atlanta.
“We were invited the first time we met the Carters to Crested Butte, Colorado. For a Carter Center weekend.” said Slay “And from the genesis of that into several different relationships that we had with them.”
Growing into a budding and close friendship between the Slays and Carters, that continued until last Sunday, with the news of the former Presidents passing.
“It was a tearful moment. He was a great humanitarian, a great peacemaker, a Nobel Prize winner, a man of deep faith.” Slay said.
In the basement of the Slay home you will find the ‘Carter Museum’, which is filled with pictures, portraits, and signatures from the late President. It’s a culmination of memories and moments the families have shared over the years.
“We've had all of our family, our children and grandchildren, to planes to meet, meet them and see them.” Slay said. “We we’re able to go to the commissioning of the USS Jimmy Carter, as well as the christening, so we've had a lot of unique experiences.”
And that includes for some truly iconic moments, like hosting the Carters when they visited for the funeral of President Gerald Ford back in 2007.
“He gets up at 5:00, 5:30 every morning. And has, for years,” Slay said. “I knew that and I got up later than he did and went into my office, and he was sitting on the floor of my office, writing the eulogy for President Ford”
Slay recalled that morning, and the troubles the President was having with the speech he had written.
“Unfortunately, he was doing them on a laptop, and he couldn't get them to transfer to my PC.”Slay said. “President Carter wasn't very happy now because he couldn't get this thing to work. So, we went out for a walk.”
Brent was able to see Jimmy’s personal side, including some of Carter’s favorite pastimes like fishing.
“He was a superb fisherman, fly fisherman, and we fished with them in north Georgia on probably five or six occasions,” Slay said.” When he went fishing, it was not a social event. It was very serious business about catching fish.”
Carter was all business, but his compassion always came through, with countless hours of Humanitarian work through Habitat for Humanity and other non-profits. Slay hopes that is what Carter is remembered for most.
“This entire life, really, post presidency, has been devoted to the rest of humanity,” Slay said. “This work, he's traveled all over the world on behalf of peace, and that was who they were. What you saw was what you got. “
Brent along with his wife Diane plan to attend Carters funeral if invited. Services will span six days, three cities with multiple stops at places that held significance during Carters life.
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