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Maria Shriver Poem at Tim Russert’s Funeral Service

Lin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:08:53 +0000

At Tim Russert’s funeral service on Wednesday, Maria Shriver read a prayerful poem that was very moving to everyone attending. Having recently lost a loved one myself and knowing how painful it is, I want to share Maria Shriver’s poem “The Little Ship” that she read at Russert’s memorial service.

The Little Ship

I stood watching as the little ship sailed out to sea. The setting sun tinted his white sails with a golden light, and as he disappeared from sight a voice at my side whispered, “He is gone”.

But the sea was a narrow one. On the farther shore a little band of friends had gathered to watch and wait in happy expectation. Suddenly they caught sight of the tiny sail and, at the very moment when my companion had whispered, “He is gone” a glad shout went up in joyous welcome, “Here he comes!”

Further Reading:

Tim Russert’s Wake: Mourners Pay Respects to Tim Russert
Tim Russert Funeral Set For Wednesday
Tim Russert Funeral Closed to the Public

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Tim Russert Funeral Service Set For Wednesday

Lin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:22:37 +0000

A wake for Tim Russert will be held Tuesday at St. Albans School in Washington, followed by a private funeral and memorial service on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at 4 p.m. (EDT) from Washington’s Kennedy Center, and will be televised by MSNBC and made available for airing by other outlets, according to the network.

NBC aired a prime-time tribute Friday night, then devoted Saturday’s “Today” show to his life and career. “His voice has been stilled,” said Tom Brokaw, who led the conversation, “and our issue this sad Sunday morning is remembering and honoring our colleague and our friend ….”

Brokaw also said that Russert had a large wooden sign in his office that read: “Thou Shalt Not Whine,” which Brokaw then added, “Thou shalt not weep or cry this morning. This is a celebration.”

Brokaw and a half-dozen others, including presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and political pundit Mary Matalin, with Maria Shriver – the former NBC News correspondent and currently California’s first lady – on a remote hookup, were seated in front of the “Meet the Press” set and its angular table, left vacant, where Russert had presided as recently as last week.

Tim Russert was born on May 7, 1950 in Buffalo, New York and died on Friday, June 13th at the age of 58, after suffering a heart attack while recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast.

Russert was the face of political news for NBC as well as MSNBC, serving as chief political analyst, a frequent correspondent and an election-night fixture, besides his off-camera duties as NBC News’ Washington bureau chief. Tim Russert had been host of Meet the Press since 1991 when the show was already in its 45th year. There has been no immediate word on who would host “Meet the Press” next week or in the weeks to come.

Tim Russert Funeral Closed To The Public

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Tim Russert Funeral Closed To The Public

Lin — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:51:48 +0000

Tim Russert 1950-2008

NBC News has announced that Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press”, died Friday June 13, 2008 at the age of 58 after suffering a heart attack while recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast.

Born May 7, 1950 in Buffalo, New York, Russert grew up in a predominantly Irish-Catholic neighborhood where he was raised by his father, Timothy Sr., a World War II veteran who simultaneously worked as a truck driver and a sanitation worker, and his mother, Elizabeth, a homemaker.

Russert was rushed to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Russert had just returned from putting his elderly father into a nursing home last week and a family vacation in Italy with his wife, journalist Maureen Orth, and son Luke to celebrate Luke’s graduation from Boston College. Earlier this year, Time magazine named Russert one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Russert was to have received a lifetime achievement award from the Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University on June 23. The school said the award would be presented posthumously. Russert was also the recipient of numerous awards for his work, including an Emmy in 2005 for his coverage of the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.

The funeral for Russert will reportedly be closed to the public with many Washington news companies closing for the event. The flags at the NBC headquarters are at half staff which is something normally reserved for statesmen.

Survivors include his wife, Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine, whom he met at the 1976 Democratic National Convention; and their son, Luke.

Update:

Tim Russert Funeral Service Set For Wednesday

Tim Russert’s Wake: Mourners Pay Respects to Tim Russert

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