Barack Obama to deliver eulogy at Harry Reid memorial service
Former President Barack Obama will deliver the eulogy this weekend at a memorial service for former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, the late senator’s office announced Wednesday.
Reid died Dec. 28 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 82.
President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York will also speak at the service. The event will feature performances by Brandon Flowers of The Killers — a Reid favorite — and singer-songwriter Carole King.
“We are honored to have such a distinguished group paying tribute to Harry’s life and accomplishments,” said Landra Reid, the late senator’s wife of 62 years, in a statement. “These are not only some of the most consequential leaders of our time — they are also some of Harry’s best friends. Harry and our family have always had such love and admiration for each of them and their families. Harry loved every minute of his decades working with these leaders and the incredible things they accomplished together.”
The service for Reid is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at The Smith Center in downtown Las Vegas. Tickets for the memorial will be distributed through Reid’s office, not the venue.
Near the end of Reid’s life, Obama wrote to the former Senate majority leader, telling him he would not have been president if not for Reid’s encouragement and support.
He credited Reid with helping to carry out his agenda. Reid was instrumental is passing Obama’s landmark piece of legislation, the Affordable Care Act.
“Most of all, you’ve been a good friend,” Obama wrote. “As different as we are, I think we both saw something of ourselves in each other — a couple of outsiders who had defied the odds and knew how to take a punch and cared about the little guy. And you know what, we made for a pretty good team.”
Next week, Reid will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, becoming the first Nevadan to ever receive the rare honor, according to a list maintained on the House of Representatives website. The ceremony will be open to invited guests only.
Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.