Colin Powell's son delivers emotional eulogy at funeral: 'A great lion with a big heart'

Mourners gathered Friday to celebrate the life of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was remembered by his son as a "great lion with a big heart."
Powell's son Michael delivered emotional remarks at the former secretary of state's funeral in Washington, D.C, remembering his late father's "endless passion for people."
"Colin Powell was a great leader because he was a great follower," he said. "He knew you could not ask your troops to do anything you were not willing to do yourself."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Michael Powell went on to reflect that his father's example "does not call on us to emulate his resume" but to "emulate his character and his example as a human being," adding, "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."
Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage also delivered remarks during the service, at one point telling an amusing story about a memorable encounter between Powell and a foreign minister from Sweden. The Swedish foreign minister knew about Powell's "affection for ABBA," Armitage recounted, and presented him with a full CD set of the band's songs.
"Colin immediately went down on one knee and sang the entire 'Mamma Mia' to a very amused foreign minister from Sweden, and to a gobsmacked U.S. delegation who had never seen anything like it," Armitage said.
Other speakers at the service, which was attended by President Biden and former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, included former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who remembered Powell as "one of the gentlest and most decent people any of us will ever meet."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
July fiction: Summers to remember
Feature Featuring the latest summer-themed novels from Darrow Farr, Lucas Schaefer, and more
-
Why are flash floods in Texas so deadly?
Today's Big Question Over 100 people, including 27 girls at a summer camp, died in recent flooding
-
'The way AI is discussed makes it seem like this is a necessary outcome'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin on August 1, with rates ranging from 25% to 40% on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration