The private memorial service for Ted Kennedy at the JFK library in Boston Friday night drew many luminaries from the political world such as Vice President Joe Biden and Senators John McCain and John Kerry, as well as family members such as Joseph Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy. It was a night full of laughter as well as sadness, as friends and family celebrated the larger than life senator from Massachusetts with speeches and music. Read the whole story from the AP. Some of the highlights are below.
Family friend and former top Kennedy staffer Nick Littlefield sang one of Kennedy's favorite songs as a tribute.
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John McCain called Kennedy "the best ally you could have" and said he had the "Irish talent for storytelling and friendship."
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Sen. Orrin Hatch gave a long, moving speech about his 30-year friendship with Kennedy, proclaiming that he "loved every minute." Hatch ended by reading a poem he had written about Kennedy, which concluded with "I will miss my Irish friend/God be with you 'till we meet again."
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Former Iowa Senator John Culver, a classmate of Kennedy's at Harvard, told an amusing tale about the time he joined Kennedy in a sailboat race.
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Joe Biden, who delivered an emotional tribute to Kennedy on Wednesday, again spoke movingly of his admiration for his former Senate colleague, who he said was like a "big brother" to him.
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The evening ended with Caroline Kennedy, who spoke about how "Teddy has become a part of history."
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