Memorial Service For Dianne Feinstein Held Outside San Francisco City Hall

During a closed to the public memorial service outside of San Francisco City Hall on Thursday, the late Senator Dianne Feinstein was remembered by many, with the event capped off by a video message from President Joe Biden and a flyover by the Navy Blue Angeles.

Feinstein, born in 1933 in San Francisco and a graduate of Stanford University, began her political career in 1960. That year, then-Governor Pat Brown appointed her to the California Women’s Parole Board. In 1969 she decided to finally run for public office, winning a San Francisco Board of Supervisors seat. During her tenure from 1970 to 1978, she moved forward with many progressive measures, was the target of terrorist groups, and, on three separate occasions, was President of the Board. She also unsuccessfully ran for Mayor twice.

Then, in 1978, while serving as President of the Board of Supervisors, Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk were killed in an assassination committed by former Supervisor Dan White. Thrust into the Mayor’s chair, Feinstein remained there for the next decade. During her time there, she was hailed as the savior of the San Francisco cable car system and helped oversee the 1984 Democratic National Convention. However, she also tried to ban handguns in the city and became infamous for leaking details to the press about the investigations into serial killers in the area.

Following her time as Mayor, her career hit a major slump. In 1990 she failed to win the Gubernatorial election and was fined over the failure to report on campaign contributions and expenditures. But then, in 1992, she ran for Senate to take the place of  Pete Wilson, with whom she had lost to for Governor. She won, and for the next 31 years she served as Senator of California. While a respected member of the Senate for decades, and known for her gun control attempts, she fell out of favor in recent years due to her advancing age and numerous health problems.

In 2023, she missed several months of Senate work due to recovering from home in San Francisco, announced that she wouldn’t run again in 2024, and was seen as such a liability by voters that polls found that the majority of Californians wanted her out. On September 29th, Feinstein died at the age of 90. In the following days, her body was flown back to San Francisco and was held in state at San Francisco City Hall. This all led to the memorial service on Thursday.

Many notable speakers were there at the event that had to be closed off to the public due to security concerns. This included San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Vice President Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Feinstein’s granddaughter Eileen Mariano, and in a video message, President Biden.

“Dianne Feinstein was an icon of California,” said Vice President Harris on Thursday. “She was an American patriot. A giant of the Senate,” Harris said. “She was a force force. Dianne commanded respect and she gave respect, and she was someone who was more focused on “results not rhetoric. Dianne, the women of America have come a long way, our country has come a long way and you helped move the ball forward and our nation salutes you, Dianne.

Memorial service for Feinstein

Pelosi added, “Feinstein was a woman so strategic and so strong. A lady so gentle. A trailblazing model and a mentor of generosity and sweetness. She regarded everyone with respect. Dianne drew strength from you and we all drew strength from her. As neighbors and friends, Dianne and I took pride in working together for California and for our values. She has a lasting legacy. From the US Capitol back to San Francisco, where Dianne Feinstein is our forever mayor. She walked onto that floor last Thursday, which would be her last day she walked on to the floor and voted on legislation keep government open for the people.”

The event also had a video message from President Biden. In it, he said that “Dianne made her mark on everything from national security to the environment to protecting civil liberties She’s made history in so many ways, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations. She was always tough, prepared, rigorous and compassionate. She always served the people of California and our nation for the right reasons, to make life better for everyday people and ensure America stood for freedom, transparency and justice at home and abroad.”

Finally, the event was capped off by Mariano, her granddaughter. In the final speech of the service, she said, “Me and my grandmother were close from the very beginning. So much so that when I was born, she suggested a name change. She explained to my mom and dad, ‘Oh wow she looks just like me. You should change her name to Dianne.’ From then on, she and I were extremely close.”

“She taught me to play chess, although she hated losing. We would pick flowers from her garden and draw them together, although only her drawings were worth making into prints. When it was time to go to sleep, she would say goodnight, and she would always sing me the song ‘You Are My Sunshine.’ Work to your long suit, she would say. Do something that you can do for your entire life. Boy, did my grandmother do that.”

While Feinstein had many outside the official ceremony celebrating her life, others noted that her years of health decline could obscure her long political legacy in California.

“People are remembering her fondly today, but she had been unpopular for years and, long term, her legacy could very well be a negative one,” said Russell Martin, a political advisor in the Bay Area. “She has a lot of love for things she did in the past, but she also let her poor health affect her work as Senator for at least the last decade. A lot of people are going to remember her for that. It’s not the best legacy to have.”

The service concluded later on Thursday, with Blue Angels from the Navy passing overhead.