The tune was bittersweet as Philadelphians gathered at the Academy of Music yesterday morning to commemorate the life of "Mr. Philadelphia" himself, Thacher Longstreth, a longtime Republican councilman, business leader and philanthropist.
The service was saturated with music, a fitting tribute to the lighthearted Longstreth, who died two weeks ago after a long illness.
"We'd like you to think of this as the celebration of a great person's life," said Walter D'Alessio, a longtime friend of Longstreth who made the opening remarks, quoting briefly from Longstreth's autobiography Main Line Wasp.
The musical highlight of the morning was an unexpected performance by Governor Ed Rendell, who sang -- with his self-proclaimed "awful voice" -- the Princeton fight song in honor of Longstreth, a steadfast Tigers' football fan.
He was "an incredibly loyal Princetonian... who would tease us when Princeton prevailed over Penn," Rendell said.
Longstreth ran for mayor of Philadelphia twice, and lost --graciously -- both times.
"When he was for you, he was for you," Philadelphia Mayor John Street said, referring to their friendship, which transcended political lines and racial barriers that plagued the city during the time.
Subsequent speakers lauded his achievements as head of the Chamber of Commerce and founder of the local chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. City Council took the stage to pass a resolution in his honor.
Longstreth's family, including his wife Nancy and two sons, was in attendance, in addition to Melanie Hopkins, his former chief of staff and companion who was recently cleared of charges that she had abused him.
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