New York City Mayor Bloomberg, Bill Clinton give eulogies at Koch funeral

New York, NY, United States (4E) – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former president Bill Clinton paid their last respect to former New York City mayor Ed Koch by giving eulogies at the latter’s funeral on Monday.

Bloomberg told fellow political leaders, the Koch family and other attendees at the Temple Emanu-El on the East Side of Manhattan that the 105th mayor of the city was the best embodiment of the NYC’s spirit. Bloomberg also remembered Koch as the rescuer of the city when it was in a state of decline.

Clinton, who cut short his trip to Japan to be at the funeral, said Koch advised him during his presidency and that he and wife Hillary both loved him very much.

“We miss you so much because we all know we are doing a lot better because you lived and served,” the New York Times quoted Clinton as saying.

Koch’s family members, including his grandnephew, Noah Thaler, delivered tributes to the former mayor, who died Friday at age 88.

Also attending the funeral were former Mayors David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani, Govs. Andrew and Mario Cuomo, former governors George Pataki and Eliot Spitzer, U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato.

The funeral service ended with the burial of Koch at the Trinity Cemetery.

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