(WWJ) -- Congresswoman Debbie Dingell remembers former Joint Chiefs Chairman and Secretary of State Colin Powell as “one of the most decent human beings” she ever met.
Dingell, D-Dearborn, was among the many politicians and former colleagues who fondly remembered Powell on Monday after learning of his death.
Powell’s family announced he died Monday morning due to complications from COVID-19. His family said he was fully vaccinated.
Powell, a retired four-star general, was the first Black secretary of state in the United States. He was 84.
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Dingell, speaking live on WWJ Monday morning, said she had been close friends with Powell and his wife, Alma, for decades. They were by her side after her husband, longtime Congressman John Dingell, died in 2019.
“Colin was one of the most decent human beings I ever met in my life. He loved his country, he was a trailblazer, he served his country with love and with pride,” Dingell said. “He believed that public service was absolutely critical. He treated every person he met with dignity and respect. He inspired so many people and honestly, I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Dingell also remembers Powell for being honest and to-the-point.
“Colin was a man who cut through -- I shouldn’t say this on radio, but -- the bullshit and just knew what was right and did it all of his life,” Dingell said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered all U.S. and Michigan flags lowered to half-staff on Monday. The governor called Powell “a statesman who served his country in uniform and at the highest levels of government for decades.”
“As a soldier, he was deployed in the Vietnam War and went on to hold various national security and diplomacy roles under four presidents: Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, and Bush Jr. Secretary Powell embodied values we all strive to live by: fidelity, independence, and humility. My thoughts are with his family and all those who looked up to him as a soldier, a leader, and an American,” Whitmer said in a statement.
Powell is survived by his wife Alma, two daughters Linda and Anne, his son Michael and four grandchildren.