Family, friends, diplomats remember Colin Powell at funeral service

Richard Armitage, Former Deputy Secretary of State: “This old race will soon be over. There will be no more race to run and I will stand before God’s throne, all my heartaches will be gone. And I’ll hear my savior say, welcome home. Shhh. Be real quiet. Listen real carefully and you might hear our savior say, Colin welcome home. And here’s your starry crown.”

Madeleine Albright, Former Secretary of State: “As I grew to know him, I came to view Colin Powell as a figure who almost transcended time for his virtues, were Homeric. Honesty, dignity, loyalty and an unshakable commitment to his calling and word. These were the same traits he sought tirelessly to instill in the soldiers under his command, the diplomats he led, the colleagues with whom he worked, the readers of his books, the audiences that flocked to his speeches, the students of the Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, and the thousands of young people who benefited from the America’s Promise Alliance that Alma and he championed. He relished the opportunity to connect with other generations. And it’s always the right time, he told us, and I quote, to reach out to someone who’s wanting to look up, and to each in our own way, to help put that fellow American on the road to success.”

Michael Powell, Son of Colin Powell: “In ‘The Road to Character,’ David Brooks draws a distinction between resume virtues and eulogy virtues. Resume virtues are your achievements and your skills. Eulogy virtues are those discussed at your funeral, the ones that exist at the core of your being, whether you are kind, brave, honest or faithful. This person has a quiet, but solid sense of right and wrong, not only to do good, but to be good. He wants to love intimately, to sacrifice self in the service of others and to live in obedience to some transcendent trust. That was my father.”

“I’ve heard it asked, are we still making his kind? I believe the answer to that question is up to us. To honor his legacy, I hope we do more than consign him to the history books. I hope we recommit ourselves to being a nation where we are still making his kind. For as he said in his autobiography, his journey was an American journey. Colin Powell was a great lion with a big heart. We will miss him terribly.”