Dr. and Mrs. Coleman, Chandra, family members, the Clintons and friends. Everyone in this room has lost a friend, mentor, advisor, colleague and brother.

  We cannot put into words the pain we're experiencing in this moment.  Nor can we find an explanation for our loss. But I know one thing: we are all richer for having known Justin Lord Coleman. 

  At JFK, Jr.'s Memorial service, Ted Kennedy said that his nephew had every gift -- but the gift of years.

  As a son, brother, and friend, Justin gave to others the gifts his parents and sister had given to him. 

  Justin was inspirational: he was a teacher, confidant, motivator, and listener. He was honest, generous, dignified and possessed a level of compassion that simply knew no bounds. He made everyone feel so special.  He treated them as though they were the only person alive no matter what was going on with him or around him.

  He had an insatiable appetite for learning.  And not just for the sake of intellectual growth.  But for understanding himself, the world, and his place in it. 

  Why? For the sole purpose of sharing what he discovered with those he cared about the most.  Each of his discoveries was a gift to us.  And that is why we loved him.

  For most, the world is opaque but for Justin it was all too clear.  He saw things most of us missed.  He never let his status, his accomplishments, his charm or good looks cloud his sense of humility.  He understood the value of a moment, the joy of friendship, the meaning of love.

  In one of his mothers recent emails, she said that Justin was a part of so many communities. In the White House community, the White House family, Justin was not only part of it, he was part of its soul. So many people have written.  So many people have spoken.  And so many are here today from so many places in his life to celebrate his gifts and say goodbye. 

  In 1997, Justin arrived at the White House, where I worked. I thought to myself: here's another preppy white boy from North Carolina, went to an Ivy League school and vacationed on the Vineyard.  I figured the Republicans had finally infiltrated the West Wing. 

  But I was wrong.  For four years, Justin served the Clintons – and our country -- with diligence and unwavering loyalty. The impact that he had on everyone -- senior and junior staff alike -- was simply amazing.

  Justin believed working in the White House and for the leader of the free world -- as he referred to our President -- was not a right, but a privilege.  Justin later changed how he referred to our boss: calling him 42 or something else, depending on the result of the Oh Hell game that we had just finished playing.

  His character was based on values and loyalty that were remarkably strong for someone of such few years. While Mary may have been the mayor of the west wing, Justin was its spirit. He loved the Clintons and believed in them and what they did for the people of this country and citizens all over the globe. He thought of them as parents, mentors, leaders and most of all friends. He believed he was fortunate to be able to call them his friends but it is everyone who knew him that were lucky to call him theirs.

  Shortly after Justin arrived in the Staff Secretaries office, we all seemed to notice a new pattern: an unusual number of women were suddenly appearing in the West Wing. I later came to learn that the standard orientation procedure at the White House was: complete your security check, get your blue badge, and go on a date with Justin.  Some would say that he had a magnetic personality.

  Justin was always there for others. This summer, he cleared his schedule on a moment's notice to assist Senator Clinton on her book tour.  When she asked him why he jumped on a plane without even a tooth brush, he said, "Senator, Huma always takes care of you, but who takes care of Huma?" That's just the kind of friend he was.

  In the White House, when Justin was not yelling at Gottheimer in an attempt to actually get the President of the United States his speech before he was scheduled to give it, he was trying to help keep the Government open. In the year 2000, the Government was being funded on a series of continuing resolutions which kept all government offices operating. Justin had to fly all over the world in order to have the president sign these fancy pieces of paper. That paper was the authorization necessary to keep the entire United States Government operating. The signing process took all of 2 seconds. One time, at the APEC summit in Brunei, Justin had flown half way around the world, literally, gotten into a car, came straight to us for the president to sign that days continuing resolution and ran into us as we were moving from one meeting to another. He quickly opened up the document and found nowhere to place it other than a nearby trash can so he laid it down, the President walked by, turned, signed the document, and continued on to the next meeting. From then on, it became the trash can ceremony. For the next several weeks Justin would appear at trash cans all over the world. Sorry Mr. President.

  During our white house years, Sunday night Chinese food and pizza was the norm, that is unless Justin had us all on some weird diet. Mary, Ed, Dave, Will, Ian, Ben, Huma and so many others would gather each week to watch a movie and hang out, TOGETHER. On this Sunday night, the saddest of all Sunday nights, we mourn the loss of our Justin.

  He lived more in his 27 years than most live in a lifetime. He became a foundation of support for many people in this room and many others around the world. In good times and in bad, he was there for us all. It is now time for us to be there for him as we place him in our hearts and souls forever.

  One of things we'll always remember is that he made life fun. He possessed the remarkable ability to make any situation, no matter how common, SPECIAL. He turned sitting on the couch – anyone's couch, everyone's couch -- into an art form. He was even better at it than his dear friend Ed Hughes.

  One time, when we were sitting on the couch and Justin and I were about to go on 4 day trip to 5 European countries. We were informed that the trip was pushed back by a day. It was a Saturday afternoon when we found out and Justin, Dave Sobelman and I were sitting around our house watching Television. Justin started blurting out all of the things we could and should do that night and Dave and I continued to focus on Sportscenter until he uttered the words, Vegas Baby. He said lets flip a coin and if its tails we go, after several machinations of that process, he finally said, ok, lets do it once,  if its tails, I get up, go home, you guys find a flight, and I am back in 45 minutes to go to the airport. As he was walking out the door, he turns and says, oh, also, you can only take two things with you. Sure enough, it was tails and he hurriedly jumped up, left the house without a word and dashed to his ever present black four-runner. We found a flight leaving at 5:30 and returning some 12 hours later, which if it was late, we would have had a bit of a problem. We raced to the airport boarded the place & quickly grabbed our seats. We boarded the plane, got to our seats. Justin opened up the overhead bin, placed his cell phone and wallet in it, closed it and sat back down with the most serious look on his face. He had clearly selected his 2 items. People on the plane seemed concerned, I turned to him & said, imagine if they knew what we did for a living…

  Justin judged no one and loved us all. He made ordinary moments extraordinary. He saw people and things for what they are. His anecdotes, advice, friendship & warmth, his entire presence & being, made each & every moment with him special. To say his spirit enhanced our lives & made them better would not do justice to how much he touched us in such meaningful ways. He lived by an ethical code garnered by not only a free spirit & heart but by the courage to follow them.

  We should all be grateful that we had the chance to know him, work and play with him, spend time with him and love him.

  He was a citizen of humanity and one of its best. From now until eternity … every time you hear the words, "yo dude" It will bring a smile to your face. He impacted our lives in ways we may never fully appreciate or understand though we will always carry a piece of him with us in our own way because of it.

  I grew up with three older brothers and I never had a younger one that is until 1998, when I finally got HIM. He was the younger brother I always wanted and I was proud of every moment I got to spend with him. I, and everyone in this room, is all the better for it.

  Justin had dreams for us all, I hope that we take time to realize them for him.

    Good bye, BROTHER.