Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral service for congressman donald payne jr. Today in newark.

Paying their final respects to a man who's being remembered as a dedicated public servant who carried on his family's legacy in national politics.

Senior correspondent joanna Gagis was there as the congressman was laid to rest.

A powerful, profound principle of progressive patient public service.

What a life.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was one of 16 members of Congress who showed up to pay homage to a former colleague and friend, Congressman Donald Payne Jr. His funeral was held today in Newark, the city where payne lived his entire life.

There's not a stone you can throw, not a place you can go, not a road on which you can drive that the Payne family has not had an impact on in our city.

Just about every leader from New Jersey was in attendance.

Many sharing stories with similar themes.

Payne, a congressman since 2012, a man of humility who was perhaps the best dressed on the House floor.

How dapper he was.

He put us all to shame.

Oh my gosh.

What color will his bow tie be today for his songs?

Whatever it happened to be.

He's so dignified.

Don may have looked a little flashy.

He had these incredible suits and and a pocket square that would match his socks.

And we already been speaking about the bow tie.

But I want you to know that Donald Payne was a humble man.

Who never forgot his city or his roots.

Everything he did was always keeping his constituents in mind.

What he saw, families in our state being torn apart by gun violence.

He resolved to be a force for change and helped enact the strongest gun safety reforms in a generation.

And when he saw children in his city being poisoned by lead pipes, he dedicated himself to securing billions of dollars in federal funds to bring clean water to vulnerable communities, not just here but across America.

And when he, like millions of Americans, struggled with a chronic illness, he drew from that experience to build a more accessible and more affordable health care system.

He might have served in Washington, D.C., but his heart never left the South ward.

His struggle to serve while battling diabetes.

And as Mayor Ras Baraka pointed out.

The pressure of being the congressman, of being an elected official and being black at the same time to represent struggle deliberately while still making time for the father daughter dance.

And one by one, as speakers rose to share their personal connections with the Congressman.

They each shared how the relationship felt more like family.

Donald Payne would refer to me as his uncle Frank.

And so now I've lost my nephew.

And so that's hard.

I connected with him very early on, as a matter of fact.

He allowed me to adopt him, and I called him my son and I told him I was his other mother, whether he liked it or not.

And anecdotes that showed his sense of humor.

Even as one of the most prolific lawmakers in Congress.

Telling Minority Leader Jeffries.

I needed this, I think I found my niche.

I said, But but, Donald, you have actually passed more bills than almost anyone else from our class.

And we came in with more than 75 members.

He said, well, he punched up a little bit.

Shocking.

I'm going to be the Michael Jordan of one minute speeches.

But perhaps their emotions were best summed up in this way.

Earlier, it was said that we were blessed to know him well.

Donald Payne was a blessing to the Congress of the United States in Newark.

I'm Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.