Edwards, 61, was eulogized as a smart, funny and always optimistic woman who was a fierce defender of her family. “One thing that is true and will never change is that we are a family,” said her eldest daughter, 28-year-old Cate Edwards, who joined two longtime family friends in offering eulogies for Mrs. Edwards. “She would do anything in the world to protect us.”
The church was filled with hundreds of friends, former campaign staff members and politicians who wanted to pay respects to the incredibly brave woman who faced enormous adversity, and became an inspiration for people who, like her, had faced the death of a child, marital infidelity, and cancer. Among the mourners were Sen. John Kerry, who picked John Edwards as his running mate in the 2004 presidential election, Gov. Beverly Perdue of North Carolina, Vicki Kennedy, wife of former Senator Ted Kennedy, as well as several members of Congress. One woman, who is a cancer survivor but did not know Mrs. Edwards personally, traveled overnight and camped outside the church for hours just to assure she’d get a seat inside the church. This was the type of inspiration Elizabeth Edwards provided to her family, her friends, and total strangers who somehow felt a strong connection with her.
A poignant moment of the afternoon came when eldest daughter Cate read a letter Mrs. Edwards wrote for her children to have following her death. It read:
For all I have said about life, I want you to know that all I ever really needed was you — your love, your presence — to make my life complete. You are complete joy to me. I hope you will always know that. Wherever I am, wherever you are, I have my arms wrapped around you.”
