(JTA) — Saying “No one will ever think of him for more than 30 seconds without breaking into a smile,” former President Bill Clinton delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Mark Weiner, a longtime Democratic activist and fundraiser.
Clinton’s wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton — along with other prominent political leaders — also attended the Tuesday afternoon funeral service at Temple Beth-El, a Reform congregation in Providence, Rhode Island.
According to the Providence Journal, Clinton joked in the eulogy that he added six months to Weiner’s life by introducing him to actress Sophia Loren.
Weiner, 62, died last Tuesday of leukemia. That evening, Bill Clinton noted during his speech at the Democratic National Convention that he and Hillary “cried together this morning on the news that our good friend … Mark Weiner, passed away early this morning.”
In a tweet before the service began, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said: “#RIP, my brother beloved #MarkWeiner. I cannot put into words how much I do and will always miss him.”
Weiner, a former chairman of Rhode Island’s Democratic Party, manufactured paraphernalia for the Democratic National Committee, among other clients.
He had been elected a delegate to last week’s convention in Philadelphia and hoped to see Clinton nominated. But the ailing Weiner could not attend and was replaced by his wife, Susan.
Weiner met Hillary Clinton in 1976 while volunteering for Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign.
Along with his wife, Weiner is survived by four childrenand two grandchildren.
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