Beau Biden, the vice president's son, as a public servant who learned through early tragedy what mattered most and resolved to "live a life of meaning" that would lift up those around him.
"He was a scion of an incredible
family who brushed away the possibility of privilege for the harder,
better reward of earning his own way," Obama said. He described Beau
Biden as a son, a father, a soldier and a politician who didn't cut
corners in his efforts to serve his country and others.
The
president reflected on the "cruel twist of fate" that killed Beau
Biden's mother and infant sister in a car crash four decades ago and
left 3-year-old Beau and younger brother Hunter hospitalized.
Out of that tragedy, Obama said, Beau early on "made a grown-up decision" to live a life of meaning that would benefit others.
The former Delaware attorney general died a week ago of brain cancer at age 46.
Vice
President Joe Biden, who did not speak at his son's funeral, embraced
Obama at the funeral's start, after crossed himself solemnly as he
entered the church to the strains of "Bring Him Home," from "Les
Miserables."
he overflow crowd of 1,000 at
St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church included first lady Michelle
Obama, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, an array of state and national
political figures, as well as people from across Delaware and beyond who
lined up hours in advance, drawn by their strong bonds to the Biden
family.
"Joe Biden is
Delaware, and his son is also Delaware to me," said Lisa Rial, 54, who
grew up in Delaware but lives in Pennsylvania. "They're synonymous with
Delaware." Outside, along the route to the church, residents held up
signs reading "Rest in Peace, Beau."
Gen.
Ray Odierno, the former top U.S. commander in Iraq, where Beau Biden
once served, praised him as a dedicated soldier and selfless friend.
Odierno suggested that the presidency could even have been within Beau
Biden's reach and spoke of his dedication to "a nation that I believed
one day Beau Biden would someday lead."
The
vice president's two surviving children, Hunter and Ashley, also spoke,
and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin, a favorite of Beau Biden,
performed a solo.
Joe Biden
had just been elected senator in 1972 when his wife and baby daughter
were killed in a car crash. He developed a reputation over the years for
possessing a deep ability to comfort those in grief.
Often, Biden is called upon to
eulogize fellow American leaders. Now, it was Obama's moment to speak
words of comfort to the vice president and his family and friends.
The president described Beau Biden as very much his father's son.
"His
dad taught him that everybody mattered. He even looked and sounded like
Joe — although I think Joe would be the first to acknowledge that Beau
was an upgrade — Joe 2.0," Obama said to chuckles from those in the
audience. "But as much as Beau reminded folks of Joe, he was very much
his own man. He was an original."
Beau
Biden served two terms as attorney general before setting his sights on
the governor's mansion. Many imagined his career would mirror that of
his father, who represented Delaware for decades in the U.S. Senate
before becoming vice president.
But
in 2010, at age 41, Beau Biden suffered a stroke. He was diagnosed with
brain cancer three years later. He returned to work after what doctors
said was a successful operation to remove a small lesion, but his
illness returned, and he died last Saturday, less than two weeks after
being admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in
Bethesda, Maryland.
His death drew expressions of sympathy from across the political
spectrum, the sense of sadness heightened by the tragedy that the Biden
family has endured over the years.
White
House officials said the choice of Obama to deliver a eulogy reflected
the tight personal relationship that Joe Biden and the president have
developed after more than six years together in the White House.
Source:AP
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