Georgia hotelier remembers former President Carter

THE PASSING OF former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29 left the nation in morning. For Sharad Patel, it marked the loss of a longtime friend and inspiration.

Patel is the former owner and operator of The Windsor Hotel in Americus, Georgia, where Carter sometimes stayed. The ex-president was more than just a guest, however.

“So many good memories spending time with him, whether it’s building houses for Habitat for Humanity or coming to the Windsor for dinner, or whether it’s an Indian night or involving his project in Plains where he restored the
Plains Inn.”

Carter, who was the 39th president of the U.S. and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, was 100 when he died at his home in Plains, Georgia, according to his obituary. He the longest-lived president in U.S. history and is
survived by his children, Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy, as well as 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.