Read Caroline Mulroney’s eulogy at Brian Mulroney’s funeral

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Former prime minister Brian Mulroney was eulogized on Saturday at a state funeral at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal by his daughter Caroline Mulroney, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and hockey great Wayne Gretzky, among others.

Read the English portions of Caroline Mulroney’s entire eulogy below.

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“No one gave a speech like my dad. With his beautiful baritone voice, his sense of humour and his impeccable timing, my dad held an audience in the palm of his hand.

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“Speeches were such a major part of his life that he told us that when it was his turn to go up to what he called that great political rally in the sky, he wanted us to bury him with his podium. He had a unique style, which included telling stories that he honed over the years. My favourite was of a former Conservative prime minister, who, at a formal dinner, had insisted on a second pat of butter for his bread. Despite the waiter’s insistence on adhering to the rule of one pat of butter per person, Mr. Diefenbaker thundered, ‘excuse me, but do you know who I am? I am the prime minister of Canada. And I would like another pat of butter, please.’

“My father grinned as he delivered the waiter’s response. ‘Do you know who I am? I’m the person who hands out the butter.’ My dad told this and other stories, not just to get a laugh but to make the point that the man who hands out the butter matters just as much as the prime minister. Because to dad, everyone mattered. The prophet Isaiah said, ‘Consider the rock from which you are cut, the quarry from which you are dug.’ While my dad’s Irish heritage was the rock from which his character was cut, Baie-Comeau, Quebec, his hometown, was the quarry from which it was dug.

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“There was a destiny attached to my father, that even in his youth, no one could deny. Even prime minister Diefenbaker at the peak of his powers, wrote a letter to my grandfather, extolling his son’s potential after his first encounter with my dad.

“When I was a little girl I had a sense that my father was a great man. He seemed to know everyone, they knew him and they wanted to be around him.

“Prime minister Clark attended Mark’s christening. My dad did important work like serving on the Cliche Commission and leading an international mining company and, in what to my very young eyes, seemed like the pinnacle of importance, dad acted as grand marshal of the Montreal St. Patrick’s Day parade. My dad went on to win the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. When asked to comment on the significance of his election on the night of his victory, my father’s first response was not what the journalist expected. ‘It is Caroline Mulroney’s ninth birthday,’ he exclaimed on national television. At a moment of great achievement, he showed the country what his family meant to him. He became a truly great prime minister and a world leader. But to us he was more than that. He was a truly great father.

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He seemed to know everyone

“As his only daughter, he always made me feel special. He was the one who carried me to bed and stayed with me until I fell asleep when I was little. The one who let me cry on his shoulder. Even when my tears ruined his beautifully pressed shirts when I was a teenager. And the one who waited for me at our table, at our restaurant in New York City when I worked there, patiently reading his stack of newspapers until I arrived. Always with a glass of champagne waiting for me.

“Every day of my life, my dad told me that I was the greatest daughter that God put on this earth. Now, we all know how much he liked hyperbole. But how lucky am I? That for almost 50 years I was told something so wonderful, every single day. He gave me love, confidence and strength. Spending time with him was a joy. We would sit in his den and talk for hours. The news was always on in the background. And we would discuss it, for sure, but mostly we talked about life. He set no course for his children other than to support our dreams, aspirations and happiness. But he didn’t always make it easy. When Andrew asked my father for my hand in marriage, Andrew said ‘Mr. Mulrooney, I would like to ask your permission to propose to Carolina.’ My father looked at Andrew and asked, ‘Propose what?’

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“My decision to enter politics was a thoroughly discussed topic. My father was not immediately in favour of the idea because he knew well the hardships of being the man in the arena. I leaned on him for political advice. ‘Now Caroline,’ he cautioned me, ‘because you are my daughter, people will ask you to do lots of things. Fundraisers here, events there. But do not forget the three most important things: your riding, your riding, your riding. The people of York—Simcoe elect you, put their faith in you and it is to them that you are accountable.’

“My brothers could recount stories just as remarkable as my own. My dad was immensely proud that his sons had built careers that they loved. He took such great joy watching Ben take centre stage on TV and he loved hearing him on the radio. He marvelled at how Mark climbed his way up the corporate ladder, and later in life dad relied more and more on Mark for counsel, which was such a compliment to Mark. And Nicholas amazed my father, as he took a leap to follow his dream, become an entrepreneur and build a successful company. All three of them have matured into wonderful loving fathers in our dad’s image. My dad frequently told me how proud he was of them and the family lives that they built, which he said is the most important thing in life. He relished his role as ‘papa’ to 16 grandchildren. He was playful and affectionate. He spoiled them with so much candy. He played with them in the pool. And he showered them with encouragement and love.

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“No matter the crisis he was facing or wherever he was around the world. There was never a day, not one, when my brothers and I did not speak with our father. ‘Sweetie, it’s your old daddy calling,’ he would say. Thousands of people have shared stories about his phone calls. They said that they felt that they had been touched, not just touched by someone who changed the course of history, but by an exceptionally kind, thoughtful and generous person who often reached out when they needed to be lifted up.

“My dad saw the world in a bigger way than most. His humanity defined him. Which is why he transcended politics and connected with people in a way that left an indelible mark on their hearts and souls. In our grief, our family is comforted and so grateful for the universal outpouring of affection and admiration for what my father meant to them and to Canada. While he didn’t care for polls, he did like good headlines. And those of the past few weeks would have pleased him immeasurably. He didn’t build a tight knit family, or achieve what he did in politics on his own. He did it all, every step of the way, with my mother. He fell head over heels for her beauty, but he loved her strength. ‘Your mother is a fighter,’ he would tell us. He marvelled at her street smarts, valued her loyalty and respected her judgment implicitly. Theirs was a true and equal partnership. Together for 51 years they were a political powerhouse. They achieved the unimaginable in their private and public lives, because they did everything together.

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“On his last day my dad called out to my mother from his hospital bed and said, ‘Mila, what have you got lined up for me today? Mom leaned over his bed and said, ‘Darling, what would you like me to line up for you?’

“‘Not,’ he replied. Which was his funny way of saying the word nothing. ‘Then I will line up not,’ she said. Ever hopeful, mom put her hands on his cheeks and said ‘Oh, Brian. Are you coming back to me?’ His body was tired but his heart would not let him give us up. So dad looked at mom and with what were his final words to her, he said, ‘I plan to.’ We are heartbroken by our loss. We adored him. I miss you daddy.”

National Post

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