LAS VEGAS - Former Gov. Mike O'Callaghan was remembered Thursday as a hero and a humanitarian - a "giant of a man" who devoted himself to his family and to championing the causes of the disadvantaged.
More than 2,000 people attended funeral services for O'Callaghan, perhaps the most popular governor in state history. After two terms as governor, O'Callaghan joined the Las Vegas Sun in 1979 and served as the newspaper's executive editor until his death March 5.
"Mike has left a void so great it will take an entire community, an entire state to fill," said Brian Greenspun, editor and president of the Las Vegas Sun.
Mourners who filled the Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church heard O'Callaghan eulogized as an Oakland Raiders fan, a friend of Israel and a loving patriarch of a large Irish family. Anecdotes about the former governor brought laughs as well as tears.
A tearful U.S. Sen. Harry Reid called O'Callaghan a "true frontiersman," a larger-than-life character who was a father figure, a big brother and his best friend.
"He taught me what was right and encouraged me to do it," said Reid, D-Nev.
Greenspun recalled how O'Callaghan hiked mountains in Turkey, trekked across jungles of Nicaragua and rode buses in Israel.
"He was dedicated to the just and defiant to the bad guys," Greenspun said. "Mike took on the unpopular battles. ... While he sometimes walked alone, he always walked upright."
Reid said O'Callaghan had a "fighting Irish heart."
"If you were a fighter, Mike was in your corner," he said.
Entering the church, mourners passed by a collage of photographs near O'Callaghan's open coffin that showed him during various times in his life - surrounded by family members, sitting in a chair with the family dog, fishing and greeting former President Bill Clinton.
"Governor O'Callaghan was a true pioneer in Nevada, and many of today's political leaders have followed his lead," said Adriana Martinez, chair of the state Democratic Party. "The outpouring of affection is tremendous."
The Rev. John J. McVeigh celebrated the 21Ú2-hour Roman Catholic funeral Mass, and Bishop Joseph A. Pepe presided.
Those attending Thursday's services included Gov. Kenny Guinn, Rep. Shelley Berkley and U.S. Attorney for Nevada, Daniel Bogden, among other state and local leaders, casino executives and fellow journalists.
