John McCain recalled as loving father, statesman who 'called on us to be better'

ATLANTA — Sen. John McCain was recalled at a national memorial service as a loving father, joke-telling friend and great statesman who "called on us to be better" than "small" politics "borne of fear."

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Former President Obama capped off the service Saturday at Washington's National Cathedral that included tributes by family as well as former members of Congress and other prominent American officials. Obama's eulogy honored McCain's dedication to principles that transcend party or power.

"So much of our politics, our public life, our public discourse can seem small and mean and petty," Obama said. "It's a politics that pretends to be brave and tough but, in fact, is borne of fear. John called on us to be bigger than that. He called on us to be better than that."

"What better way to honor John McCain's life of service than as best we can follow his example," Obama said. "By recognizing that there are some things bigger than party or ambition or money or fame or power ... Principles that are eternal. Truths that are abiding."

Prior to Obama, a longtime friend of McCain, former Sen. Joe Lieberman, elicited laughs from the audience of dignitaries and family with anecdotes about McCain's sense of humor.

"He loved to laugh and he loved to make other people laugh," Lieberman said. "If he heard a good joke, he'd tell it over and over and over again."

McCain's daughter, Meghan, said her father had been more than a war hero, senator and presidential nominee. He was also a devoted father who would carry her to bed as a little girl, kiss her skinned knee, and sometimes take her out of school to attend public town hall events.

"I know who he was, I know what defined him, I got to see it every single day of my blessed life. John McCain was not defined by prison, by the Navy, by the Senate, by the Republican Party or any one of the deeds in his absolutely extraordinary life. He was defined by love," Meghan McCain said.

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She said her father taught her to be strong and resilient and that he told her to "show them how tough you are" in her eulogy.

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McCain's remains were moved to the National Cathedral for the service on Saturday morning after he lay in state at the Capitol Rotunda. Mccain's wife, mother, children, and grandchildren attended the ceremony Saturday. Other notable attendees included President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and congressional leaders were all in attendance.

While a military honor guard carried McCain's casket into the cathedral for the service it was escorted by honorary pallbearers, friends of McCain including former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The procession carrying his casket made a stop at the Vietnam War Memorial, where wife Cindy McCain laid a wreath honoring servicemen and women who died during the war. Defense Secretary James Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general accompanied the McCain family to the war memorial.

Funeral services for former presidents have been held at the National Cathedral since 1901, according to its website. Most recently, a service for former President Gerald Ford was held there in 2007. The cathedral has also hosted funeral and memorial services for dignitaries such as astronaut Neil Armstrong and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Cox Media Group