A Navy Lieutenant, Georgia Governor, and eventually, the 39th President of the United States.
That’s how the world knew President Carter.
But here in a woodshop in Mira Mesa, he was known as a friend.
“So I called and he said, ‘Hello, this is Jimmy Carter’ in his Georgia drawl,” said Russ Filbeck, a personal friend of the former President.
Its a voice that is remembered in Russ Filbeck’s mind, and in nearly every woodworking project in his shop.
“I have his right hand on mine and he has my right hand on his bronze sculpture. And I titled it teamwork because it was teamwork to make that dining set,” said Filbreck, as he described a bronze cast of him and President Carter’s hands.
Chairs, shaker boxes, and photos- all holding 20 years of friendship.
One that started when Filbeck was writing a woodworking book and wanted to include President Carter’s passion for the craft.
“Of course when I told my wife that, she said, oh yeah, just go call up a president,” said Filbreck.
So he called the Carter Center and mailed a letter to Georgia.
Three weeks later:
“He said, I've been so anxious to talk to you,” said Filbreck.
President Carter carved out extra time for the woodworker.
“And cause everybody wanted to talk politics. Nobody wanted to talk about chairmaking,” said Filbeck.
From there, the two became “kindred spirits,” a direct quote in President Carter’s passage he wrote for Filbeck’s book.
He even came to visit the woodshop in Mira Mesa.
“I had secret service at that door. I had secret service behind my back. I had secret service in the house,” said Filbeck.
From auctioning wood projects for the Carter Center, to a bond over navy service, craftsmanship, and humanitarian values.
It was a relationship he cherished until the very end.
“All of a sudden my phone starts dinging with my students from around the country messaging me, telling me that they saw the news that President Carter had died. I didn't know. I'm sad that he's gone, but I'm happy that, in his spirit, he's with her now,” said Filbeck.
If you would like to check out some of Filbeck’s woodworking projects, his website is linked here.
