BOSTON — The late Sen. Edward Kennedy was hailed Friday night as a loving father, tireless friend and compassionate leader during an emotional ceremony of remembrance that mixed joyful tales with tears of mourning.
There was a rendition of “The Impossible Dream,” a tribute film by famed director Ken Burns and the revelation that Kennedy performed as a hip-swiveling, song-belting Elvis impersonator at a staff Christmas party.
“He was awful, in my opinion,” joked Sen. Orrin Hatch, the conservative Utah Republican who became a close friend and frequent political ally of the hard-living Irish Catholic, liberal icon.
One after another, Senate colleagues, friends he sailed with, friends he fought with, and most of all, friends and family whom he loved and who loved him back, stood for three hours before the flag-draped coffin to share their memories about the last patriarch of the Kennedy clan.
Vice President Joe Biden said Kennedy had encouraged him to run for office and urged him on at every turn.
“I never saw him petty,” he said. “I never saw him act in a small way. As a consequence, he made us all bigger, both his allies and foes.”
Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy, said her uncle delighted in organizing family trips to share his passion for history and understanding of sacrifice. He led the children on visits to the monuments of Washington, and Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields.
Kennedy died Tuesday after a 15-month battle with brain cancer, at age 77, and tributes have come from around the world. His body has lain in repose at the library since Thursday afternoon. The public was invited to pay respects.
By the time the public viewing closed Friday afternoon, police said up to 50,000 people had lined up.
“The turnout, the love, has been phenomenal,” said Kym Smith, the senator’s niece.
Kennedy Remembered
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.:
“Part of what you do as a first-term senator is you have to preside over the Senate. I got a Thursday evening assignment, which is not a particularly well-liked period of time to preside because of people wanting to leave.
“So I was presiding one Thursday and we were voting. And all of a sudden there was all this commotion on the Senate floor. I almost banged the gavel to call order.
“I looked over to see the source of the commotion was that Ted Kennedy had returned to the Senate for the first time in a very long time. I’ve never been so glad in my life not to have banged the gavel or called anyone to order because everyone from both sides of the aisle was swarming over the senator.” Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post
