From One Governor to Another, an Emotional Eulogy

The casket of former three-term governor Mario Cuomo departs St. Ignatius Loyola Church on January 6, 2015 in New York City.

Hundreds packed the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola for the funeral of former Governor Mario Cuomo on Tuesday. The crowd included Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Mayor Bill de Blasio and many other elected leaders and officials.

His son, Governor Andrew Cuomo, delivered the eulogy touching on several aspects of his father's life.

There was Mario Cuomo, the Queens-born son of Italian immigrants who enjoyed life's basic pleasures.

"He had simple tastes — no expensive cars, no planes, no fancy homes. A weekend meal with family watching a baseball or basketball game with my father's running commentary. Reading a good book or just talking. But really talking. There was no small talk or superficiality with Mario Cuomo."

He was also a fierce opponent on the basketball court.

"He liked to play one-on-one because it was the purest form of competition, was a solid 240 pounds and fast for a big man," Governor Cuomo said. "He would make faces at you. He would taunt you. He would talk constantly at you in a distracting and maddening banter designed to unnerve you. He would hit you in places the human body did not have anatomical defenses."

On having two governors in the family:

"I loved winning the governorship more for him than for myself. It was redemption for my father. 'Cuomo' was elected governor. The first name was not all that relevant."

When it came to politics, his son said Mario was not interested in political brinkmanship.

"He always focused on the goal of government rather than the means, the product not the process. To help the people, the student, the parent, the citizen. The truth is, he didn't love the day-to-day management of government. The tedium, the absurdity of the bureaucracy was mind numbing for him."

On religion, Governor Cuomo said his father was a progressive Catholic — and that his famous speech at Notre Dame in which he advocated for abortion rights was in line with his beliefs.

"The public official fulfilling a constitutional responsibility was different but consistent with laymen following Christ's teachings. He believed Jesus' teachings could be reduced to one word — and the word was love. And .love means acceptance, compassion and support to help people to do good, and that's what he wanted government to be."

There was Mario Cuomo, the father.

"My dad was my hero, he was my best friend, he was my confidante and my mentor we spoke almost everyday and his wisdom grew, as I grew older."

And there was his enduring spirit.

"His spirit lives in the South Bronx and it lives in South Jamaica. His spirit lives in all those outsiders still living in the shadow of opportunity, still striving for their chance to join the family of New York."

Mario Cuomo died at the age of 82. He will be buried at a cemetery in Queens.