Chicago Pays Respect To Jane Byrne
By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 17, 2014 7:00PM
Family, friends, city officials and others gathered at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Lincoln Park Monday morning to pay final respects to Jane Byrne, Chicago's first and to date only female mayor died Friday at age 81 after battling failing health for years.
St. Vincent de Paul is where Byrne's mother attended grammar school. Monsignor Kenneth Velo delivered the eulogy, which alternated between somber and humorous. "Was she perfect? No. Are you? Am I?" Velo asked. "Did she have faults? Don't you? Don't I?"
In attendance were Mayor Rahm Emanuel and two of his opponents in the upcoming mayoral election, Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) and Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia; Cook County Clerk Susana Mendoza; Ald. Ed Burke (14th); political consultant David Axelrod and longtime Cubs fan Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers. Byrne once promised to buy Wickers a ticket to a World Series game if the Cubs made it to the Fall Classic.
Mayor Byrne's casket draped in Chicago flag at the start of the funeral.If you look closely, Rahm is on the left pic.twitter.com/FIskXKsjdk
— Lauren Chooljian (@laurenchooljian) November 17, 2014Jane Byrne's casket is carried out of the church. Snowflakes are in the air. pic.twitter.com/fonHE5X9uc
— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) November 17, 2014