Delaware Leg Hall ceremony remembers Beau Biden [video]

The first of many tributes to Beau Biden has taken place in Dover.

Beau Biden was remembered as a hard-working legislator and devoted family man during a short remembrance in Dover Tuesday.

Workers at Legislative Hall took a few minutes out of their day to remember the former Democratic Attorney General before its regular session Tuesday.

The 46-year-old died at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland Saturday after a battle with brain cancer.

“All of you in the building and in the State lost a dear and virtuous friend over the weekend,” said Senate Majority Leader David McBride, D-New Castle.  “We must continue to celebrate Beau Biden’s remarkable legacy as a patriot and public servant.”

McBride read Anne Brontë’s “Farewell Poem,” and members of the Senate bowed their heads as he recited a prayer for Beau and the Biden family.

He asked God to bless Joe and Jill and to bring peace to those “fortunate enough to know Beau.” This is not the first tragedy in the Biden family—in 1972 Biden’s first wife Neila and his 13-month-old daughter Naomi were killed in a car accident in.

“We know we must move forward from this tragedy to conduct the business of the State, and we ask you give us courage to do so,” McBride said during the prayer.

 “We pledge to keep Beau in our hearts and pray you, God, will keep him in your grace. We are heartened to know he is with his mother and sister in a place that is free of pain.”

Sen. Minority Whip Greg Lavelle, R-Sharpley, said he knows the Biden family well and remembers Biden as a family man. He recounted seeing him with Beau’s then 5-year-old son Hunter, who was wearing cowboy boots and mismatched clothes.

“He was just as cute as can be,” Lavelle said. “You can see Beau’s priority in that little boy and that family.”

Sen. Robert Marshall, D-Wilmington, said he’s saddened by the loss of Biden and holds his legislative work in high regards.

“Beau was a dedicated, conscientious, good kid. We’re all going to miss him and we’re saddened by the loss, and the high probability is he would be our governor, but that is not to be,” he said. “We suffer the loss, and we wish his family cope with the loss and that they can be a stronger Biden family, and we do our part regarding his memory and commitment he made to public service.”

Sen. Karen Peterson, D-Stanton, said she was close with the Biden family, especially with Beau’s mother. She said after the tragic car accident she felt protective of Beau, and he and the family would always return the gesture.

“Over the years you’d see Beau at funerals, my mom’s funeral, my dad’s funeral, whatever was going on in my family the Biden family were there,” Peterson said.

She said she often had disagreements with Biden about different pieces legislation, but never let it affect their friendship.

“Last year he and I had been arguing about something, (and later) he stopped me and looked at me and said, ‘Are you mad at me?’ I said, ‘I may be mad at you, but I’ll always love you,’ and he said, ‘I love you too,’ and we hugged,” Peterson said. “It was our last words and I will always remember that.”