Jimmy Carter emerges from hospice to pay tribute draped in blanket with Rosalynn’s image

Former President Jimmy Carter emerged from hospice care on Tuesday to pay tribute to his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter.

The former first lady’s tribute service was held in Atlanta, and Carter made the 150-mile journey from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to be there for her.

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(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Carter, 99, has been in hospice care since February.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were married for 77 years before she died last week, and they hold the record for the longest-married presidential couple.

During the service, their daughter Amy Lynn Carter fought back tears as she read from a letter her father wrote to Rosalynn Carter in 1948 while he was serving in the military.

“My darling, every time I have ever been away from you, I have been thrilled when I returned to discover just how wonderful you are,” she read. “While I am away, I tried to convince myself that you really are not, could not, be as sweet and beautiful as I remember. But when I see you, I fall in love with you all over again. Does that seem strange to you? It doesn’t to me. Goodbye darling, until tomorrow.”

Other high-profile guests at the service include President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, along with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, former first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) and Georgia first lady Marty Kemp, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and several other members of Congress and elected officials.

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Rosalynn Carter was first lady from 1977 to 1981, and the Carter Center said she died peacefully and surrounded by her family.

Rosalynn Carter leaves behind children Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy, along with 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.