Biden, Obama, Bush and First Ladies Attended Colin Powell’s Funeral

Gen. Colin Powell’s private funeral was held on Friday at the Washington National Cathedral.

The family of the nation’s first Black secretary of state was joined by the military, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush and former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Sec. Hillary Clinton were also in attendance and sat front row, PEOPLE reported.

Powell, who died Oct. 18 from complications of COVID-19, is survived by Powell’s wife of 58 years, Alma Powell, and children Linda Powell, Annemarie Powell Lyons, and Michael Powell.

It’s been reported that Powell was fully vaccinated but may have been suffering from Parkinson’s and had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer that suppresses the immune system.

Several people spoke at the admirable four-star general’s funeral, including his son Michael, his daughter Annemarie, his Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who served in Clinton’s administration.

His son Michael spoke fondly about his upbringing in the Powell family with comments that were both poignant and humorous. “My sisters and I were raised under the stars, the stars of the storied general we eulogize today,” he said. “Our family life was unregimented. No morning revelry of marching drills. It was a warm and joyous and loving home anchored by our strong and graceful mother Alma. Our parents taught us right. They taught us wrong. And they taught us to take responsibility for our actions and never to blame others. Disappointing them was the worst punishment we could imagine.”

“My father is frequently remembered as a problem solver,” he continued. “While his solutions to world problems may have been elegant, his fixes around the house were a bit more kludgy. He believed he could cheaply fix anything with a little duct tape, some wire, and a can of spray paint. He’d even propose a solution for a non-existent problem just to solve his curiously about how something worked.”

The color guard flew the American flag as well as the flag of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the service. Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry led the service.