SAN FRANCISCO — The casket of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein arrived at San Francisco’s City Hall Wednesday to lie in state as mourners paid their respects to the trailblazing lawmaker.
UPDATE: Sen. Feinstein memorial service no longer open to the public because of security concerns
The public was invited to pay their respects and sign a condolence book between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. inside the rotunda of City Hall, where Feinstein became San Francisco’s first woman mayor and first woman president of the city’s Board of Supervisors before moving on to become the longest-serving woman senator in U.S. history.
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A hearse containing the senator’s casket arrived at San Francisco City Hall at 8 a.m. It was carried into the building past a number of dignitaries including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, members of Feinstein’s family and an honor guard of San Francisco police officers and firefighters.
A growing line of people was gathering outside of City Hall to pass through security and pay their respects to the late senator in the rotunda as the casket arrived. Early visitors included members of Feinstein’s staff when doors opened at 9 a.m.
PHOTOS: Family, colleagues and citizens pay tribute to memory of Sen. Dianne Feinstein
A steady stream of visitors filed by Feinstein’s casket throughout the morning as two San Francisco policemen wearing white gloves stood solemnly at each end.
Among the family members, coworkers and staff there were House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who approached and kissed the casket while holding the hand of Feinstein’s daughter, Catherine, who was there with her granddaughter Eileen.
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Pelosi teared up imagining Feinstein watching this for herself.
“This beautiful tribute that she’s receiving from San Francisco is something she would just love,” Pelosi said. “She was a person of greatness, she was a stateswoman, she was a national figure. But she was as personal as the poorest person in our city. She always cared.”
Doctor Anthony Fauci was there, escorted in by Mayor Breed. Long before he came into the spotlight during the COVID pandemic, Fauci worked closely with then Mayor Feinstein in the heat of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
Many people who didn’t even know the senator and dozens of coworkers also visited the rotunda. Among them was Joanne Hayes-White, the former SFFD chief. After she retired from the department in 2019, she went to work for Senator Feinstein’s office.
“She was a role model for me. I have a huge admiration and respect for her. It was both an honor and a privilege to work for her,” said Hayes-White. “She did so much for so many people. She literally worked up to her last day, as she wanted.”
Tears were shed by Lisa Wunderman, who said she worked with Feinstein as her personal scheduling secretary when she was mayor in the 1980s.
“Her original staff members remain close to her family and we are deeply bonded and loyal and continue to meet every year,” Wunderman said.
“I met my husband working there and when we were getting married, Feinstein gave me the gift of her grandmother’s ring, which I passed down to my daughter on her wedding day.”
The San Francisco government YouTube channel was streaming from the City Hall rotunda.
Polk Street will close to traffic in front of City Hall from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday while Feinstein lies in state.
The memorial service for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein being held at San Francisco City Hall Thursday afternoon will feature speakers including Vice President Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a recorded message from President Joe Biden.
Officials released the list of speakers at the memorial Tuesday afternoon. In addition to live appearances by Harris and Pelosi and the recorded message from Mr. Biden, other speakers include San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Senate Majority Leader and New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Sen. Feinstein’s granddaughter, Eileen Mariano.
Feinstein’s office had originally announced on Monday that the memorial service would be held at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in Herbst Theatre and closed to the public due to limited space, though a livestream would be available. Officials later announced that the service would be held outside on the steps to San Francisco’s City Hall with standing room available for the public in Civic Center Plaza.
However, early Wednesday afternoon, officials decided against allowing the public to attend due to security concerns. The service will still be held on the steps outside City Hall, according to officials who advised attendees to be prepared for warm weather.
