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	Photo by Bill Green The hearse carrying the body of Frederick native and former U.S. Sen. Charles Mathias Jr. passes an American flag at half staff and the gravesite of Francis Scott Key at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick Tuesday afternoon after a morning service at the National Cathedral in Washington.

Biden, former congressional colleagues and a former secretary of defense were among the dignitaries who attended Tuesday's service at the National Cathedral in Washington. Mathias died Jan. 25.

In his 87 years, Mathias was a lawyer, war veteran, state delegate and U.S. representative and senator. A Republican, he championed the causes of justice for the oppressed, equal treatment under the law, environmental conservation and peace.

Biden said Mathias had a remarkable capacity for patience he has not been able to acquire. In other areas, the vice president viewed Mathias as a mentor.

Biden said he came to know Mathias when Biden entered the Senate at age 29 in 1973. By example, Mathias taught him what a great leader is and what an honor it is to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Mathias exuded patience, humor, kindness and humility, Biden said.

"I learned what it meant to lead," Biden said.

Biden said Mathias' moral and political courage set him apart. Although these are politically rancorous times, he doubted that they are much worse than those of Mathias' years in Congress.

Mathias was in Congress during the 1960s and 1970s when civil rights, equal rights and the Vietnam War were making news.

On those issues he made politically difficult choices: walking for civil rights and with women's rights leaders Bella Abzug and Gloria Steinem; and voting against the Vietnam War.

For him, those choices were not so difficult, said all who spoke Tuesday about the courage of his convictions.

"Mac had a value set that he simply refused to walk away from," Biden said. "Political expediency never meant anything to Mac."

More than being willing to "reach across the aisle" to members of other parties, Biden said Mathias was not aware of any aisle dividing anyone.

Louisa Potts of Frederick, Mathias' goddaughter, agreed.

"It's too bad we don't have more Republicans like that in government (today)," she said.

She said her father and "Uncle Mac" grew up together on Council Street in Frederick. Best friends for life, they were never in the same political party.

"My father was strong Democrat," she said. "Mac was a strong Republican. They respected each other."

She described when Mathias was a senator, she was 16, and he took her and his niece, Theresa Michel of Frederick, to the Senate for a tour and lunch. Visits from senators who valued Mathias' friendship and council constantly interrupted the lunch.

Mathias retired in 1987 but stayed in touch with colleagues. In 2000, he took Potts and a guest on another tour and lunch. Just as before, lunch was constantly interrupted by friends and former colleagues, she said.

Despite his prestige, son Robert said his father was ever self-effacing.

"Dad was still Dad," Robert Mathias said, "fun and fallible."

"It's great to be great," Robert Mathias quoted his father, "but we knew what greatness meant ... humility, graciousness and service."

The cathedral's nave was full of friends, colleagues and other admirers. From across the nation's capital, the country and the seas people have paid their final respects to Mathias, son Charles B. Mathias said.

Charles Mathias said the outpouring of affection is heartwarming.

Liza Brown of Frederick said Biden seemed quite moved and spoke more from the heart than usual.

"There was a lot of love in that room," said J.D. Hulse of Frederick after the service.

The Rev. Canon Stephen Huber, vicar of the cathedral, said Mathias had remarkable affection for family, nation and the cathedral. To clergy, office help and groundskeepers, Mathias had left affectionate reminders throughout the years.

Former Frederick Alderman Kip Koontz said the service held many lessons for the nation's leaders. He said Mathias had inspired him for decades and he came from Frederick to pay his respects.

"It was very moving, very touching," Koontz said. "He was very important to me."

Bishop John Bryson Chane closed by saying Mathias was first, foremost and always a child of God and to him had returned.

Mathias was to be buried privately at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick.