One week after his death at age 46, Beau Biden, the eldest son of Vice President Joe Biden, was laid to rest on Saturday, June 6, in Wilmington, Del. Beau's two-hour funeral was an emotional affair that included a moving performance from Coldplay rocker Chris Martin and a 25-minute eulogy delivered by President Barack Obama.
Delaware Online reported that Gwyneth Paltrow's ex voluntarily stepped up to perform at Beau's funeral after hearing that the former Delaware State attorney general was a fan of his band.
Martin played on an acoustic guitar as he sang Coldplay's 2005 tune, which includes the lyrics, "For you, I'd wait 'till kingdom come / Until my day, my day is done / And say, you'll come and set me free / Just say, you'll wait, you'll wait for me."
President Obama also choked up while remembering his late friend. The leader of the free world called Vice President Biden's son a "man of character," whose death from brain cancer at his young age "has left a gaping void in the world."
"He did in 46 years what most of us could not do in 146," President Obama told the nearly 1,000 mourners who filled the rows of the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.
"He lived a life where the means were as important as the ends. He made you want to be a better daughter or son or a better brother or sister. And better at your job, a better soldier. He made you want to be a better person… Isn't that finally the measure of a man, the way he lives, how he treats others no matter what life may throw at him? We do not know how long we've got here. We don't know when fate will intervene. We cannot discern God's plan."
Among the many mourners on Saturday was former President Bill Clinton and his wife, 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Beau's funeral was held just two days after the Biden family held a public memorial for the beloved politico. At the service this past Thursday, his father visibly struggled to control his emotions as his son — resting in a casket draped in an American flag — was honored and mourned by thousands.
Beau passed away at age 46 from brain cancer. He is survived by his wife Hallie and their two children.
