Metro

Former Mayor Koch laid to rest with ‘New York, New York’

New York State governor Andrew Cuomo and former President Bill Clinton stand together following the funeral service for former New York City mayor Ed Koch.

New York State governor Andrew Cuomo and former President Bill Clinton stand together following the funeral service for former New York City mayor Ed Koch. (REUTERS)

Former Mayor Ed Koch

Former Mayor Ed Koch (AP)

Ed Koch was remembered as brash, brainy and totally a New Yorker by friends, family and fellow political leaders at a funeral service today for the city’s 105th mayor.

“No mayor, I think, has ever embodied the spirit of New York City like he did,” Mayor Bloomberg said in his eulogy at a packed Temple Emanu-el.

“He had a big brain,” former President Clinton told the VIP-studded audience. “He had a bigger heart.”

Koch, who died Friday at age 88, was also remembered as “a doting grand-uncle” by his grand-nephew Noah Thayer.

Thayer said Koch only saw “perfection” in his family and he recalled fond memories of the mayor attending elementary school soccer games and getting a manicure with his 11-year-old niece.

Bloomberg alluded to the colorful Koch’s ego when he said the funeral was being held near “a certain East River span” – meaning the 59th Street bridge, renamed the Ed Koch Queensborough Bridge in 2011.

“Before last year’s State of the City Speech, if you remember, we ran a video that included a shot of Ed standing at the entrance ramp, yelling to all the cars that approached, ‘Welcome to my bridge! Welcome to my bridge!”’ Bloomberg said.

“Needless to say, it brought down the house. But what most people don’t know is, after the cameras stopped rolling, Ed stayed out there in the freezing cold for another 20 minutes, yelling ‘Welcome to my bridge!’” Bloomberg added, drawing laughter. “He loved it – and we loved him.”

He noted that among those attending today’s services were former Mayors David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani, two Gov. Cuomos, Andrew and Mario, former Govs. George Pataki and Eliot Spitzer, and current US Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand as well as former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato.

“Everyone is here today — and I think there is no doubt that Ed is beaming, looking down on all of us assembled here,” Bloomberg said.

At the end of the service an honor guard of six uniformed NYPD and FDNY officers carried the wooden coffin out for burial at Trinity Cemetery. The organ played the familiar strains of “New York, New York.”

At first the audience laughed. Then they applauded. Then they joined in singing.

Outside on Fifth Avenue, Bloomberg, Giuliani and Dinkins held their hands to theirs hearts. NYPD helicopters flew overhead and bagpipes wailed on the freezing February afternoon.

Also Monday, US Rep. Carolyn Maloney will make a recommendation to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to rename a Manhattan subway station in Koch’s honor.

She will propose that the subway station at East 77th Street and Lexington Avenue be called “Mayor Ed Koch subway station.” She will also announce renaming the street corner there “Mayor Edward I. Koch.”

City officials have introduced legislation to officially rename the station.

Mayor Bloomberg's eulogy for Ed Koch by New York Post

With AP