BOSTON — The late
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was hailed Friday, Aug. 28, 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 moving 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 and tee-totaling Mormon bishop who nonetheless became a close friend and frequent political ally of the hard-living Irish-Catholic, liberal icon."He
always used to say that if he and I were on the same bill, it was
obviously that one of us hadn't read it," Hatch said with a laugh.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 memories about the last patriarch of the Kennedy clan."He'd
always remind us that the older we get, the better we were," joked Paul
G. Kirk Jr., a former aide who is on the board of directors of the John
F. Kennedy Presidential Library, where the memorial service was held.Vice President Joe Biden said Kennedy had encouraged him to run for office and urged him on at every turn and every crisis."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."Joseph
Patrick Kennedy II, eldest son of the slain Robert F. Kennedy, spoke of
how "Uncle Teddy" had helped raise his nephews and nieces without
reservation after the assassination."Every single one of my
brothers and sisters needed a father and we gained one with Uncle
Teddy," he said. "He had such a big heart. And he shared that big heart
with all of us."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. He took them once on a camp out on an
island that was covered in mosquitoes in the dead of summer."We
figured Teddy was trying to teach us something, but after a boiling hot
day with 20 children under 10, we weren't sure what," she recalled. The
next morning, they discovered, he had sneaked off on a boat and spent
the night in a five-star hotel in Boston.He had a "ferocious
sense of humor," said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. In his final
months, he said, Kennedy especially enjoyed how political opponents who
"abhorred his politics were saying the nicest things about him.""John Kennedy inspired our America," Dodd said. "Robert challenged our America. Our Teddy changed America."Sen.
John McCain, the feisty Arizona Republican, said he and the pugnacious
Massachusetts Democrat shared the same political philosophy —
full-throated debate, give-no-quarter battles and drinks all around
afterward."He was a fierce advocate, and no senator would oppose
him in debate without a little trepidation," McCain said. "Actually,
quite a lot of trepidation."Kennedy, he said, "was the most
reliable, the most prepared, and the most persistent member of the
Senate. He took the long view, and he never gave up."Behind
them, in the huge windows of the high-ceilinged room, a soft dusky
light turned to inky black over the waters of Dorchester Bay. In the
audience sat Kennedy's widow, Victoria, members of his family and a
galaxy of national and state political leaders, including California
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver. About 500
people filled the hall.Kennedy died Tuesday, Aug. 25, 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, and tens of
thousands did so.By the time the public viewing closed Friday afternoon, police said up to 50,000 people had lined up, some for up to four hours."The
turnout, the love, has been phenomenal," said Kym Smith, the senator's
niece.She and other family members took turns greeting and thanking
the mourners.Everyone in line, it seemed had a story to tell, a memory to share about America's third-longest serving senator.Jamleck
Wairimu, 33, a Kenyan, brought his freshly-issued U.S. immigration
papers as proof of how Kennedy had helped him find a new life as a
student in America.Helen Gibbons brought her 13-year-old
daughter, Ruby, who won a science fair several years ago and met
Kennedy at the awards ceremony.Inside the library, five young
girls from Kennedy's extended family prayed on their knees at one point
beside the casket, their blond and brown heads just visible over the
top.