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1 year ago
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A somber-looking Trump family gathered in Manhattan on Friday to say their final farewells to Donald Trump's sister Maryanne, who died on November 13 at the age of 86.
The 77-year-old former president was joined at the church by his wife Melania and three eldest children - Don Jr, Eric and Ivanka.
Around 100 mourners attended the service for the former federal judge at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola on the Upper East Side.
The blessing of Trump Barry's body was performed by New York Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
The choir of St. Ignatius Loyola sang 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God' as the processional hymn.
Donald and Melania Trump are seen on Friday outside the church
Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner were also seen leaving the Catholic funeral of her late aunt
Trump's sister, a retired federal judge, died on November 13. She is seen pictured with her brother in 2008
Reverend Joseph Parkes, one of 13 priests who participated in the service, said that Trump Barry was a Catholic convert who would walk to morning Mass at the church every day to receive Communion until an injury a few years ago, according to The New York Post.
Parkes, a Jesuit priest, praised Trump Barry's kind and caring nature.
'She was a very generous woman. The homily was about the type of life she led, caring for so many people,' he told the paper.
'She certainly helped the Jesuits out, particularly the schools we run for low-income kids. She was an extraordinarily generous person.'
Parkes said that Trump Barry's son, David Desmond, gave the eulogy. Desmond told The New York Times that the service would be closed to media.
'The service will be private,' he said. 'And we prefer to avoid any press coverage.'
Parkes said Desmond's eulogy was 'beautiful.'
'He spoke for maybe 15 minutes,' said Parkes.
'Cardinal Dolan was here very early, he couldn't stay, he had another commitment, but he wanted to make sure he showed up to say hello to the family.'
Donald Trump did not speak, as per Trump Barry's wishes.
Donald Trump Jr and his girlfriend Kimberley Guilfoyle are seen at the service
She was recorded speaking to her niece Mary Trump, and the recordings - in which she said she did not want him to address her funeral - were later shared with the Washington Post.
Barry criticized Trump for his eulogy at their father's 1999 memorial service, saying: 'Donald was the only one who didn't speak about Dad.'
She added: 'I don't want any of my siblings to speak at my funeral.
'And that's all about Donald and what he did at Dad's funeral. I don't know. It was all about him.'
Trump was the second youngest of five children born to Fred and Mary Trump: his younger brother Robert died in 2020, aged 71.
Maryanne was the oldest of the five.
She is survived by the former president and her sister Elizabeth Trump Grau, 81.
Trump earlier this week paid tribute to his 'great sister'.
He said: 'A truly beautiful woman, tall and elegant, with a presence like no other, she was also a tremendous student, intellect, and Judge, in charge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, just below the U.S. Supreme Court.
'Her life was largely problem free, PERFECT, until I made it difficult for her when I decided to run for President.'
He added: 'The Fake News, and others, went after her mercilessly, and because of the fact that she felt it inappropriate, due to her position, to defend herself, it just never stopped!'
Trump said his sister was 'tough and strong' and would be 'truly missed'.
Barry was appointed by Bill Clinton as a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1999.
Trump and Maryanne confided in each other and were close in the years he expanded his real estate empire and ran for president.
Trump posted a brief tribute on his Truth Social account on Friday.
He wrote: 'Funeral Now. I Love Maryanne. God Bless You. Rest In Peace!'
Three days ago Trump revealed his sister had passed.
'While tough and strong, she was made to suffer in those years from 2016 until her Retirement,' he wrote on Truth Social.
'I will never forget the many times people would come up to me and say, 'Your sister was the smartest person on the Court.' I was always honored by that.
'But understood exactly what they meant - They were right! She was a great Judge, and a great sister. She will be truly missed!'
Barry refrained from criticizing Trump publicly, but a series of surreptitiously-recorded interviews in 2018 and 2019 with a niece, Mary Trump revealed her true feelings.
'He has no principles,' she allegedly said in the recordings. 'None.'
She added: 'It's the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel.'
Mary Trump had recorded the remarks while working on the 2020 book 'Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man.'
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