Former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s son, Michael, bid his father farewell in an emotional eulogy at the Washington National Cathedral on Friday.
Powell a longtime statesman, serving under former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in national security roles. He was honored as a civil rights pioneer and the first African American to serve as a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State, according to ABC News. (RELATED: Colin Powell Dead From ‘Complications From COVID-19,’ Family Says)
Michael Powell’s speech focused on his father’s desire to do good and treat people well, ABC News reported.
“The example of Colin Powell does not call on us to emulate his resume…It is to emulate his character and his example as a human being,” Michael Powell said in the eulogy, the outlet reported. “We can strive to do that. We can choose to be good.”
Michael Powell recalled how one of his most cherished memories was of his father holding his hand when he was a child. Later, he held his father’s hand during his last days at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, ABC News reported.
“We walk through this life holding hands with the ones we love. They guide us. They pull us out of harm’s way. They touch and caress us with love and kindness. One of my most powerful memories comes from holding my dad’s hand,” Michael Powell said.
“That hand is still now, but it left a deep imprint on the lives of family and dear friends, soldiers and sailors, presidents and prime ministers and a generation of aspiring young people,” he said of his father, the outlet reported.
Colin Powell’s son: “The example of Colin Powell does not call on us to emulate his resume…It is to emulate his character and his example as a human being. We can strive to do that. We can choose to be good.” https://t.co/pEeSD6u026 pic.twitter.com/q7GXYnTIrk
— ABC News (@ABC) November 5, 2021
President Joe Biden was in attendance for the funeral. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama also attend the funeral. Former President Bill Clinton was unable to attend to do lingering health issues after previously being diagnosed with an infection in October.
Powell died in October from complications of COVID-19. He was vaccinated but was immunocompromised as a result of cancer treatments, according to his spokesperson. He was 84 years old, ABC News reported.