Colin Powell Honored at Funeral Attended by Presidents Biden, Obama and Bush, First Ladies and His Family

Though Powell’s family said at the time of his death that he was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it’s been widely reported that he had Parkinson’s and had beendiagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer that suppresses the immune system. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Powell’s son Michael, his daughter Annemarie, his Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who served in PresidentBill Clinton’s administration, all spoke during the funeral for the admired four-star general who broke barriers as the first Black secretary of state and 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Colin Powell Says Hillary Clinton's 'People Have Been Trying to Pin' Email Scandal on Him

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Hillary Clinton‘s email scandal continues. On Friday, theNew York Timesreported that Clinton told FBI officials former Secretary of State Colin Powell hadadvised her to useapersonal email accountwhile she held the Secretary of State office herself. “Her people have been trying to pin it on me,” Powell, 79, told PEOPLE Saturday night at theApollo in the Hamptons 2016 Night of Legendsfête in East Hampton, New York. “The truth is, she was using [the private email server] for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did,” Powell added.

Colin Powell's Life in Photos

01of 09Colin Powell.Bachrach/Getty ImagesBorn in Harlemin 1937 to Jamaican immigrants, Colin Powell said he found his calling while attending City College of New York, when he joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and became commander of his unit’s drill team.He graduated at the top of his class in 1958, having earned the rank of cadet colonel and being commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army.02of 09Department of Defense/Mark Reinstein/Corbis via GettyDuring his first tour of Vietnam in 1963, Powell was awarded both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

Colin Powell's Son Tells of Holding Father's Hand on Last Night of His Life: 'That Hand Is Still Now'

Photo: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Speaking in front of friends, family and admiring leaders — including PresidentJoe Biden, First LadyJill Bidenand others who’ve led the country — Powell gave a touching eulogy for his father, whodied at 84 on Oct. 18from complications of COVID-19. “The example of Colin Powell does not call on us to emulate his resume which is too formidable for mere mortals,” his son said of his father’s distinguished career as a four-star general, the country’s first Black secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Colin Powell, Former Secretary of State, Dead at 84 After COVID-19 Complications

Colin Powell, the first Black U.S. Secretary of State, has died from complications of COVID-19, his family announced on Monday. He was 84. “General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19,” a statement on the Powell family wrote in a statement on his Facebook page, noting that “he was fully vaccinated.”