"He loved life. He was a full and complete man," former President Jimmy Carter's longtime friend and personal attorney Terry Adamson told Scripps News on Monday morning. Carter passed away at the age of 100, The Carter Center said on Sunday.
"He died as he wanted to. Peacefully and with his family at hand," said Adamson.
The Carter Center, where Adamson serves on the Board of Trustees and executive committee, said the former president died peacefully at his home in Plains, Georgia.
His death comes about a year after his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, passed away.
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Adamson served as the couple's personal attorney for many years following the Carters' time in the White House.
He said he had known Carter for over 60 years, first meeting when Adamson was a senior a high school and Carter was serving in the Georgia General Assembly. He went on to become a newspaper reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covered Carter's run for governor.
That's when the two became close. He would later work in the Justice Department during Carter's administration, although he admittedly said he was surprised to see him run for president at the time.
"It’s just been rushes of memories," Adamson said, reflecting on their relationship.
When asked how Carter viewed his own presidency, Adamson said, "He did his best and he was proud that he did his best."
But Adamson said that Carter knew when he left the White House he wanted to do constructive things post-presidency and not just focus the rest of his life on making money.
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He said the concept of service was definitely on Carter's mind, and that's ultimately what led to the legacy that is now The Carter Center.
Adamson said that he believed the Carters were seen in such a good public light because they stuck to their values and principles throughout their lives.
In his private life, Carter felt he could best express his emotions through poetry, Adamson said.
"He was really a Renaissance man. He was a poet. He wrote 33 books over the course of his life," said Adamson. "He was an expert carpenter. He was an expert fly fisherman."
