U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. was laid to rest on Thursday as hundreds of mourners attended the funeral service in Newark, paying their final respects and remembering him as a dedicated public servant.
“A powerful, profound, principled, progressive, patient, public servant — what a life,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. Jeffries was one of nearly 60 members of Congress who showed up to pay homage to a former colleague and friend. Payne’s funeral was held at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, the city where he lived his entire life.
“I am extremely grateful for his years of friendship and for his decades of fearless service to our state and our nation,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “And with him gone, it is now our responsibility to protect him, and carry the proud Payne family legacy forward by being true to ourselves, to our values, and to the state we love so dearly.”
Payne’s career in Congress spanned more than a decade as a Democrat representing the state’s 10th Congressional District from 2012 until his death. He succeeded his father, who also died in office. Payne also served as a Newark City councilman and Essex County commissioner before being elected to Congress. Payne, 65, suffered a cardiac episode on April 6, stemming from complications tied to his diabetes. He died on April 24.
“Don may have looked a little flashy, he had these incredible suits and a pocket square that would match his socks, and we’ve already been speaking about the bowtie, but I want you to know that Donald Payne was a humble man,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said.
