Tim Russert Memorial: Friends, Family Remember Newsman

***SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL VIDEOS***

After a private funeral Wednesday morning, friends and family remembered Tim Russert at a televised memorial service at Washington's Kennedy Center Wednesday afternoon. The service featured moving speeches from colleagues such as NBC Nightly News anchors Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams and executive producer Betsy Fischer, close friends Mike Barnicle, Al Hunt, Maria Shriver and Doris Kearns Goodwin, grade school teacher Sister Lucille Socciarelli, former boss Mario Cuomo, and Russert's son Luke. At the end of the service, Brokaw and Luke Russert introduced a surprise performance from Tim Russert's favorite rocker, Bruce Springsteen, who sang "Thunder Road" live via satellite from Europe, where he is on tour.

From the AP:

Tom Brokaw opened the memorial service by lifting a bottle of Rolling Rock beer to salute his fallen colleague.

"We are going to do it Irish style," Brokaw, who pilfered the Rolling Rock from Russert's cooler, said at the service held at the Kennedy Center. "There will be some tears, some laughs, and the occasional truth."

Speakers included Maria Shriver, Mario Cuomo, Mike Barnicle and even the nun who taught Russert in the seventh grade. It ended with Russert's 22-year-old son Luke.

"He regarded a day greeted without real enthusiasm as a sadly lost opportunity," said Cuomo, the former New York governor for whom Russert worked as an aide in the early 1980s.

Shriver, California's first lady and member of the Kennedy family, recalled how Russert tried to help get her daughter into Boston College, which Luke attended.

He told her "it's competitive," she said. "You need to know people in Boston. You need to know people in the Catholic church."

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Shriver had that covered, although her daughter landed on the waiting list.

NBC News anchor Brian Williams told how Russert went to the best salons for haircuts.

"Tim spent a fortune on his hair," Williams said. "And on the day when he got it done, he looked outstanding for 60 to 90 minutes afterwards."

Russert, who also was the Washington bureau chief for NBC News, was known for conducting tough interviews of Washington's most powerful politicians, yet he evoked an everyman quality that showed his blue-collar, Buffalo, N.Y., roots. Part of that came from his sometimes rumpled appearance.

Brokaw referred to Russert as "an unmade bed of a man with an armful of newspapers and a cell phone to his ear."

The crowd entering the Kennedy Center heard music from Russert's iPod, including Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird." The memorial ended with a video tribute by Bruce Springsteen, who was touring in Europe.

Among the politicians at the memorial service were former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

The funeral service at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood was private, but a loudspeaker broadcast the service to about 100 onlookers standing along the tree-lined street.

Luke Russert gave the eulogy. His mother and Russert's widow, Maureen Orth, looked on.

"My dad was my best friend," Luke Russert said, his voice strong and clear. "To explain my bond with my father is utterly impossible to put into words."

He said that whenever he did well on a school assignment, his father would yell, "Yahoo! You smoked 'em, buddy!"

He asked the crowd to imagine a special edition of "Meet the Press" this Sunday in heaven. "Maybe Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr will be on for the full hour debating," he said.

Luke Russert repeated much of the eulogy at the memorial service, confiding that his father often recycled the same speech for different civic groups.

"Tim Russert led with his heart, his compassion and most of all his honor," his son said. "I love you, dad, and in his words, let us all go get 'em!"

Watch the videos of Wednesday's speeches, as well as Springsteen's performance, by clicking the various links below.

Watch Tom Brokaw's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Al Hunt's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Betsy Fischer's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Sister Lucille's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Mario Cuomo's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Mike Barnicle's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Brian Williams' speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Maria Shriver's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Doris Kearns Goodwin's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Luke Russert's speech at Tim Russert's memorial.

Watch Bruce Springsteen's surprise performance at Tim Russert's memorial.

Comments

[deminmo]

I think Mr. Russerts final farewell, the rainbow,
outshined all the high profile guests.
Luke, and Mrs. Russert, don't grieve. I think
he's letting you know there really is life over
the rainbow.

[haleywins]

The memorial was appropriate for a good and deserving man. Seldom happy with how he handled many of the politicians.

Maria Shriver outshined everyone.

[wjmct]

I wonder if McCain and Obama have attended many funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq?

[ergoth]

is this orgy of grieving finally over?

[Jsvb]

I'm with OddManOut. Enough with the navel gazing. The trouble with the media today is that they are too often the story, and not the ones reporting it.

My condolences to his family, but enough's enough.

[Tulka2]

Quote of the whole funeral: Chris Matthews after, "Did you notice how the news just stopped after Tim died? The news just stopped". With the whole of the midwest underwater due to 100 years of agricultural mismanagment. No news? Whatever.

[lewes17266]

I am so sorry this man died so young.

I watched a lot of MSNBC the past few days. They are a nice group of people.

[Sportswoman]

For those who don't understand the breadth of media coverage on this man, let me simply explain it this way: If the news were able to capture the journey of a meteor falling to earth, they would. Tim Russert was meteoric as both a person and a TV journalist. Had the media been as monolithic then as it is today, Edward R.. Murrow's life would have been eulogized on-air probably very similarly.
As a speech coach I've heard scores of eulogies given over the many years, but never have I heard such an amazing array of stunningly mesmerizing tributes spoken in succession.Just when one wondered how Al Hunt's speech could be topped, Sister Lucille's poignant remembrances of Russert's Catholic school days evoked tears. Only Mario Cuomo could so artfully follow her, and only Maria Shriver could follow him even more successfully. In fact, having also heard her impromptu speech last February at UCLA, I believe she is clearly the best public speaker in her entire family--which is no easy feat on either side.

[OddManOut]

Tim Russert was an interesting person and a nice one at that. Seriously though, enough of the media navel gazing.

[CapitalistTool]

I think its high time that the president and congress get off their asses and honor Tim Russert with a national holiday or make June the official "Tim Russert Month." When will the postal service release a stamp commemorating this brilliant American? Certainly an aircraft carrier or battleship should be renamed in his honor.

[GrkAm]

What a remarkable man! We take a job well done (and the people behind it) for granted. These individuals make a task look so effortless that anyone can do it. Such a man was Tim Russert. I knew I respected him, but like many, I think I took him for granted. He was a complex man that the majority of Americans didn't know. Unfortunately, it has taken his death for many of us to realize what we have lost!

Today though, Luke Russert came forth to show us that the baton has been passed. God Speed, Tim! Job well done.

[HappyHouse]

Yes, Tim Russert was a media darling and, apparently, a wonderful family man, good friend, great guy, a saint, etc., etc., etc., but enough already! I'd like to see just one-tenth of this much attention and print given to our soldiers who get killed each week or to even one of the innocent civilians who are being killed in Iraq by the thousands. Let's get a little perspective here...

[spqesq]

If you don't want to watch it, turn the channel. If you don't want to read it, don't click the link. This really isn't that complicated, is it?

[igmond50]

Who are you to say how people should spend their time or how they should mourn or for whom? It may in fact be possible for people to take it all in.

[Calylily]

Sometimes, when people of greatness pass through us, something of them stays with us. We can't help it if Tim Russert had this affect on SO MANY PEOPLE!

Unfortunately, we do not always realize this, so give us some time to appreciate how much we, and so many others, felt the very same way about his influences on us. Have you ever lost your father? Well, it kind of feels like that. It's been less than a week . . . give us a break!

[Calylily]

Not since - the day little John F. Kennedy, Jr went down in his plane, did I feel this way ... And, like that day that Little John died, I kept my eyes glued to the TV hoping to find out that it was all just a mistake, and he wasn't really dead. Friday - I was like petrified wood, watching all the cable news journalists with their red eyes, no make-up, clearing their throats and holding back their tears.

Today, Obama and McCain came to pay their respects and sat next to each other, hugging after the service in mutual moarning for a man, who because of his greatness, was able to accomplish this in his passing ... now that is great journalism!

And, if you don't think he was moderating today in front of the Gates for Saint Peter ... think again! The Russert will always be The Russert, then ... now ... forever.

[ObserverinVancouver]

All of the speakers were good but Mike Barnicle was the best.

[UpstateNY]

A fitting tribute to a complete man - his life was too short but it was fully lived. Each of the people who spoke had a common theme - Tim loved life and especially his life! He worked hard - probably harder than most people - but he loved it so it wasn't work for him. He cared and found time in his schedule to keep in touch with people and he made the small touches that meant so much to his friends. I have learned many lessons from Tim in the past few days.

I will miss Tim Russert during the rest of this election. But he left a newsroom that knows what to do. I will watch them on MSNBC and I expect them to live up to the Russert ideal. Or else, I'm sure he will find a way to let them know!

Rest in peace, Mr. Russert.