Hundreds gather to celebrate the life of Madeleine Albright, a quintessential American

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• Amna Nawaz:

  Today, at Washington's National Cathedral, nearly 1,500 people gathered to remember former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who died late last month at the age of 84.

  The first woman to hold that post was memorialized by two presidents, one of her successors, and her three daughters, all through laughter, tears, and memories of a quintessential American.

• President Joe Biden:

  For decades, she was the nexus to the foreign policy community, always, and I mean always, on top of the latest developments, always speaking out for democracy, and always the first to sound the alarm about fascism.

  Presidents and leaders around the world continued to solicit her advice, including me. She could go toe-to-toe with the toughest dictators, then turn around and literally teach a fellow ambassador how to do the Macarena on the floor of the U.N. Security Council.

  (LAUGHTER)

  Bill Clinton, Former President of the United States: She came to America still not knowing the true story of her family and what they had done to survive.

  After she was secretary of state, she finally learned that she was actually raised Jewish and had three of her four grandchildren — grandparents die in the Holocaust.

  But she had a full, hopeful life, because she knew what she believed in, she knew what she was for, she knew what she was against.

  Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former U.S. Secretary of State: She didn't just help other women. She spent her entire life counseling and cajoling, inspiring and lifting up so many of us who are here today.

  So, the angels better be wearing their best pins…

  (LAUGHTER)

• Hillary Rodham Clinton:

  … and putting on their dancing shoes, because, if, as Madeleine believed, there's a special place in hell for women who don't support other women, they haven't seen anyone like her yet.

  (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

  Katherine Albright, Daughter of Madeleine Albright: She would always pick up the phone when we called.

  But I still remember this one day she didn't. When I called her office, I was told: "Your mother can't come to the phone right now because she's on the floor with Senator Muskie."

  (LAUGHTER)

• Katherine Albright:

  I had no clue what that meant.

  (LAUGHTER)

• Katherine Albright:

  She then aptly explained to her young daughter how the legislative business of our country is conducted on the Senate floor.

  Dying was never on mom's schedule.

  (LAUGHTER)

• Katherine Albright:

  A hole has opened in our hearts that we lack the power to close.

  But the memory of her love and the resilience of her example will remain with us and with many of you until the end of our days.

• Amna Nawaz:

  And you can watch the "NewsHour"'s complete coverage of Madeleine Albright's funeral online.

  All that and more is on our Web site. That is PBS.org/NewsHour.

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