Funeral for Colin Powell held Friday
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has died from coronavirus complications at the age of 84[Marvin Lynchard]
WASHINGTON — Colin L. Powell, the trailblazing soldier-diplomat who rose from humble beginnings to become the first Black secretary of state, was remembered by family and friends as a principled man of humility and humor. Powell died last month at age 84.
At his funeral at Washington National Cathedral, friends and family said his achievements serve as a model for minorities in public and private life. A Vietnam combat veteran, he was the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first Black secretary of state.
Among the funeral attendees were President Joe Biden and former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Powell died of complications from COVID-19 last month. He had been vaccinated against the coronavirus, but his family said his immune system had been compromised by multiple myeloma, a blood cancer for which he had been undergoing treatment.