Errol Carter Kelly is a member of the Carter family, best known as the younger son of Amy Carter and a grandchild of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Unlike several relatives who have entered politics, television, or other public careers, Errol has appeared mainly at family ceremonies and community activities. Contemporary news coverage places his birth around 2010, although an exact birth date is not established in major authoritative biographies. The clearest record of his life comes from appearances with his grandparents, his participation in Scouting, and the Carter family’s memorial services.
Errol Carter Kelly Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Errol Carter Kelly |
| Born | Around 2010 |
| Mother | Amy Lynn Carter |
| Father | John Joseph “Jay” Kelly |
| Maternal grandparents | Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter |
| Older half-brother | Hugo James Wentzel |
| Known for | Member of the Carter family; appearances at Carter family events |
| Documented activity | Scouting and family memorial ceremonies |
Amy Carter remarried John Joseph “Jay” Kelly after her earlier marriage to James Wentzel. ABC News identifies Errol Carter Kelly as the son Amy and Jay had together. Amy’s older son, Hugo James Wentzel, was born during her marriage to Wentzel.
Who Is Errol Carter Kelly?
Errol Carter Kelly belongs to the youngest generation of grandchildren of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. His connection to American political history comes through his mother, Amy Carter, the youngest of the former president and first lady’s four children.
Amy spent part of her childhood in the White House while Jimmy Carter served as the 39th president from 1977 to 1981. Her experience was unusual even among presidential children: she entered the White House as a child and received extensive press attention before later choosing a far quieter adult life.
For Errol, the Carter connection has generally appeared in a family context rather than through an independent political or media career. His exact birthday, school and other personal details are not established by authoritative public sources, so a responsible biography should not fill those gaps with assumptions.
When Was Errol Carter Kelly Born?
The strongest contemporary evidence places Errol’s birth around 2010.
A 2014 photograph distributed in coverage of Jimmy Carter’s 90th birthday described Errol as four years old. The following year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution referred to Amy Carter’s youngest child Errol as five during the Plains Peanut Festival in September 2015.
Those reports support a birth year close to 2010 without establishing a specific calendar date. In April 2023, a Scouting publication described him as 12, providing another age reference consistent with that time frame.
His Parents: Amy Carter and Jay Kelly
Errol’s mother, Amy Lynn Carter, was born in Plains, Georgia, in 1967. She was nine when her father became president and spent much of his administration growing up under national attention.
As an adult, Amy married James Wentzel in 1996. Their son, Hugo James Wentzel, was born in 1999. After that marriage ended, Amy married John Joseph “Jay” Kelly, and the couple had Errol. ABC News identifies both Hugo and Errol in its account of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s descendants.
That makes Hugo Errol’s older half-brother through their mother.
Errol’s Relationship to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Errol’s maternal grandparents occupied an unusual place in American history. Jimmy Carter served one term as president and later built a decades-long post-presidential career centered on peace, elections, human rights and public health through The Carter Center. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Jimmy Carter died at his home in Plains on December 29, 2024, at age 100.
Rosalynn Carter was a major advocate for mental health, caregivers and women’s rights. She died on November 19, 2023, at age 96. At the time of her death, The Carter Center said she was survived by four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Errol can therefore be understood not merely as a relative of a former president, but as part of the large family that accompanied Jimmy and Rosalynn through their later decades in Plains.
Public Appearances by Errol Carter Kelly
The documented appearances associated with Errol are mostly family occasions rather than publicity events.
| Year | Documented appearance |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Photographed with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter during Jimmy Carter’s 90th-birthday celebration |
| 2015 | Attended the Plains Peanut Festival and was described as five years old |
| 2022 | Joined Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter during a Scouting visit in Plains |
| 2023 | Read Scripture at Rosalynn Carter’s tribute service |
| 2025 | Named among the honorary pallbearers at Jimmy Carter’s national funeral |
A Scouting Weekend With His Grandparents
One of the most detailed accounts of Errol comes from a Scouting trip to Plains in late 2022. The group visited sites connected with Jimmy Carter’s childhood and presidency, performed service work and spent time with the former president and first lady.
The 2023 account described Errol as a 12-year-old First Class Scout. Amy Carter said she valued the experience partly because it gave her child an opportunity to learn civics while participating in outdoor activities. During the walk with his grandparents, Errol also helped Rosalynn Carter as she moved along the paved path.
The episode provides more concrete insight into Errol’s upbringing than speculative biographical profiles do: his documented activities included Scouting, outdoor experiences, community service and time with his grandparents.
His Role at Rosalynn Carter’s 2023 Tribute Service
Errol took a visible role when the Carter family gathered in Atlanta to honor Rosalynn Carter on November 28, 2023.
The official service program named Errol Carter Kelly among Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter’s grandchildren and listed him as a presenter. It also shows that he read Matthew 5:6–8 during the ceremony. He was additionally listed with the Carter grandchildren serving as honorary pallbearers.
News photographs from the service show Errol at the lectern and walking past Rosalynn Carter’s casket after the reading.
This remains one of his most substantial appearances at a nationally covered event.
Errol Carter Kelly at Jimmy Carter’s Funeral
Jimmy Carter’s death in December 2024 brought the extended Carter family together again for ceremonies in Georgia and Washington.
At the national funeral held at Washington National Cathedral on January 9, 2025, the official program included Errol Carter Kelly among the honorary pallbearers. The list also included Hugo James Wentzel and several other Carter grandchildren.
The designation firmly establishes Errol’s place among Jimmy Carter’s grandchildren in one of the most authoritative records connected with the family.
Where Errol Fits in the Carter Family
The simplest Carter family line is:
- Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter were Errol’s maternal grandparents.
- Their daughter Amy Carter is Errol’s mother.
- Amy’s husband John Joseph “Jay” Kelly is Errol’s father.
- Hugo James Wentzel, Amy’s son from her first marriage, is Errol’s older half-brother.
Errol is therefore connected directly to the Carter presidential family through Amy, rather than through Jimmy Carter’s three sons, Jack, Chip and Jeff.
What Is Errol Carter Kelly Known For?
Errol is not known for holding political office, running a company, acting, writing books or pursuing another documented public profession.
The material that can be established reliably centers on his family relationships and several appearances connected with the Carter family. That distinction matters because biography pages about relatives of famous people sometimes turn ordinary gaps in the historical record into unsupported claims about careers, education, wealth or future plans.
For Errol, the strongest biography is also the most straightforward: he is Amy Carter and Jay Kelly’s son, one of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s grandchildren, a documented Scout during his childhood, and a participant in major Carter family ceremonies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Errol Carter Kelly?
Errol Carter Kelly is the son of Amy Carter and John Joseph “Jay” Kelly and a grandchild of former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
When was Errol Carter Kelly born?
Contemporary coverage places his birth around 2010. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution described him as five years old in September 2015, while a 2014 photo caption identified him as four.
Who are Errol Carter Kelly’s parents?
His parents are Amy Carter, the youngest child of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, and Amy’s second husband, John Joseph “Jay” Kelly.
Does Errol Carter Kelly have siblings?
He has an older half-brother, Hugo James Wentzel. Hugo is Amy Carter’s son from her earlier marriage to James Wentzel.
Did Errol Carter Kelly attend Rosalynn Carter’s funeral events?
Yes. At the November 28, 2023 tribute service in Atlanta, Errol read Matthew 5:6–8 and was listed among the honorary pallbearers.
Was Errol Carter Kelly involved in Jimmy Carter’s funeral?
Yes. The Washington National Cathedral program for Jimmy Carter’s January 9, 2025 national funeral named Errol among the honorary pallbearers.
Conclusion
Errol Carter Kelly’s biography is closely tied to one of America’s best-known presidential families. As Amy Carter and Jay Kelly’s son, he is a grandchild of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and has appeared at several significant Carter family events. The clearest glimpses of his life include childhood appearances with his grandparents, Scouting activities in Plains, his Scripture reading at Rosalynn Carter’s tribute service and his role as an honorary pallbearer at Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Beyond those documented moments, speculation is unnecessary; the existing record already provides a clear and accurate picture of his place in the Carter family.
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