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 Cuomo, a three-term governor, and a leading voice of the
Democratic Party's liberal wing, he died at his home last Thursday
at age 82, only hours after his son Gov. Andrew Cuomo was
inaugurated for a second term.
In his eulogy, Andrew Cuomo described his father as a loving man who
was more of a philosopher than a politician, a man who hated
bureaucracy, loved playing basketball and could be a "ferocious
opponent" or a "powerful ally."
"If my father thought he was fighting the right fight, it didn't
matter if he thought he was going to win or lose."
Among the mourners was New York Mayor Bill de Blasio who along with
other political leaders were bundled up against the snow as they
arrived at the landmark Church of St. Ignatius Loyola on Park
Avenue, where funerals were held for former first lady Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis and fashion designer Oscar de la Renta.
Former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton also attended.
"He wanted a simple, local funeral with little fanfare," Pastor
George Witt said, looking out over the crowded church and getting a
collective laugh in response.
Witt described Cuomo as someone who inspired love and respect.
Governor of New York from 1983 through 1994, Cuomo rose to national
prominence as keynote speaker at the 1984 Democratic National
Convention in San Francisco, criticizing the policies of President
Ronald Reagan and the Republican party.
During his tenure, Cuomo strongly backed spending for education and
social welfare. Avidly opposed to capital punishment, he vetoed a
dozen bills that would have reinstated the death penalty in New
York.
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"Fundamentally, my father was a humanist," the younger Cuomo said.
"He was very concerned with how people were treated."
Cuomo was born in the New York City borough of Queens to Italian
immigrant parents.
Despite his considerable impact as a politician, he turned down
several invitations to seek the U.S. presidency.
He was hospitalized on Nov. 30 for a heart condition and died on
Jan. 1.
His younger son, Chris Cuomo, works for CNN's "New Day."
Cuomo is also survived by his wife of 60 years, Matilda, daughters
Maria, Margaret and Madeline and 14 grandchildren.
A private burial was scheduled at a cemetery in Queens.
(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst, Andre Grenon and Gunna Dickson)
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