This was the fourth time Jordan battled cancer. In the 1980s, he was diagnosed with leukemia lymphoma. About 10 years later, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He also had two battles with skin cancer. In 2000, Jordan wrote a book about his experience with cancer, titled “No Such Thing as a Bad Day,” which provided inspiration to cancer survivors.

He and his wife, Dorothy, founded Camp Sunshine, a nonprofit camp for children with cancer, and Camp Kudzu, a nonprofit camp for children with Type 1 diabetes. Jordan also founded the Georgia Cancer Coalition, a $1 billion organization funded by tobacco settlement money.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has published the following statement from Jordan’s family:

The Jordan Family greatly appreciates the overwhelming amount of love and support we have received from our friends during the many difficult years of Hamilton’s illness. We are saddened beyond words at his death, but we are also at peace knowing that he is finally comfortable after years of fighting an incurable disease. A truly unforgettable person, Hamilton will be remembered as a compassionate, brilliant, and selfless human being who touched so many lives with his limitless generosity.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that your donations be sent to any of the following charitable organizations:

The Hamilton Jordan Mesothelioma Research Fund at the University of Maryland-Baltimore Foundation, University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, 100 North Green Street, Suite 600, Baltimore MD 21201

Camp Sunshine, 1850 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033, enriching the lives of children with cancer through recreational, educational and support programs throughout the year

Camp Kudzu, 4279 Roswell Road, Suite 102, Box 254, Atlanta, GA 30342, providing education, recreation and peer-networking programs for children with diabetes

Community Advanced Practice Nurses, Inc., 173 Boulevard NE Atlanta GA 30312, offering free mental and physical healthcare to the homeless and medically underserved.

A memorial service for Hamilton Jordan, White House chief of staff during the Carter administration, will be held with family and close friends at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 23, at The Carter Center. Seating begins at 1 p.m. President Carter as well as other friends and colleagues over the years, will offer remarks and reminiscences. The event will not be open to press coverage.

SOURCE: myMeso › Hamilton Jordan, Pres. Carter’s chief of staff, dies of mesothelioma