The funeral arrangements for the late General Colin Powell have been announced. According to Powell’s spokeswoman, Peggy Cifrino, the memorial service for the nation’s first Black Secretary of State will be held at Washington National Cathedral on Nov. 5.
“There will be very limited seating and it will be by invitation only,” Cifrino said in a statement to the Associated Press. The National Cathedral has hosted several funeral services for presidents, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush. The service will take place at noon and guests will have to have an authorized ticket to attend, according to a press release issued by Washington National Cathedral. It will also be livestreamed via the Cathedral’s website.
“Beyond his military and diplomatic success, Secretary Powell became a universally respected North Star on the nation’s moral compass,” said the Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral, in the statement.
“Now, in this moment of painful polarization, we mourn the loss of his idealism, his nonpartisan patriotism, his decency, and his call to put America above personal ambition.” As REVOLT previously reported, Powell died of complications from COVID-19 on Oct. 18 at the age of 84. He was vaccinated, but his family revealed that his immune system had been compromised by multiple myeloma.
“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American,” the Powell family said in a statement announcing his death.
The Woody Funeral Home in Richmond, Virginia has also created a condolence book for the esteemed Black diplomat, NBC 12 reports. The public is encouraged to sign the book and share memories of Powell in personalized cards, which will be delivered to Powell’s family at the end of the month. Lacyn Barton, the President of the Woody and Nelsen Funeral Homes said the condolence book will be available to sign from Oct. 23-31 at Woody Funeral Home located at 1771 North Parham Road in Virginia.