INDIANAPOLIS -- Hundreds of Hoosiers gathered at the IndianaStatehouse Friday to remember a governor who reached across partylines, racial boundaries and age gaps.
And his memorial service was designed to reflect it.
The interfaith memorial service for Gov. Frank O'Bannon, whichfeatured a racial mix of young and old, was held under gray skiesand in cool weather on the western steps of the Statehouse.Well-wishers filled the government complex as early as an hourbefore the service began. Outlines of others could be seen in thewindows of the Statehouse, the complex,and even the nearby MarriottHotel.
"It was exactly right," Phil Bremen, a Ball Statetelecommunications instructor, said. Bremen was O'Bannon's presssecretary during the governor's first term. "We have to grieve. Weloved the guy."
Before the service began, the melancholy of the occasion wasevident. Hugs and handshakes lasted just a little bit longer, andsmiles were delivered in reserve.
Musician Carrie Newcomer played three somber tunes before theservice began. A prelude was performed by Courtney Rice of theIndianapolis Firefighters' Bagpipe Band. Special guests, speakersand performers were escorted to their seats. The O'Bannon familywas led separately by school children and teachers from DayNursery-State, Building Blocks Academy and North United MethodistChurch of Indianapolis.
The remarks and prayers began after the performance of the"Star-Spangled Banner." Remarks were delivered by Indiana SupremeCourt Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard, U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh andGov. Joe Kernan.
"Frank O'Bannon was always humble and gentle, giving credit toothers even when he deserved the lion's share," Bayh said. O'Bannonserved as lieutenant governor under Bayh, a former Indianagovernor.
Kernan, who said he never intended to run for the office ofgovernor but took on the mantle to finish O'Bannon's term, calledO'Bannon "the real McCoy."
"He understood that it was far more important to be loved thanfeared," Kernan said.
Prayers were also delivered by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Rabbi ofCongregation Beth El Zedeck of Indianapolis, Sayyid Syeed,Secretary General of the Islamic Society of North America and theRev. Ternae T. Jordan Sr. of the Greater Progressive Baptist Churchof Fort Wayne. The 23rd Psalm was recited by two elementary schoolstudents -- once in English and once in Spanish.
When the remarks and the prayers were finished, the militarysalute began. The Military Department of Indiana Honor Guarddelivered a 19-round artillery salute followed by a performance of"Taps." A missing man fly-over by the Indiana Air National Guardcompleted the salute.
Once the grieving ended, the celebration of O'Bannon's lifebegan. The Key Strummers, a children's ukulele band of which thegovernor had been particularly fond of, performed an upbeatrendition of "Back Home Again in Indiana" to close the service.Members of the audience, speakers and onlookers alike, sang along,smiling.
"It was a very impressive ceremony, I thought," Phyllis Amburn,Muncie's deputy mayor, said. "Such a variety of ways to commemoratea life."
When the performance ended, a set of doves was released, and theO'Bannon family was escorted back into the Statehouse. JudyO'Bannon, Indiana's former first lady, stepped inside the buildingbriefly. Then, quickly, she stepped back out and took a picture ofthe crowd watching outside the Statehouse, giving the audience athumbs-up.
"It was just a beautiful touch," Amburn said.
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