SCRANTON, Pa. — President Biden's motorcade drove into a staging area outside of St. Paul's Church in Scranton's Green Ridge Section just before 11 a.m. on Friday for the funeral service of his childhood friend.
He and dozens of others are looking to pay their final respects to Thomas Bell Sr., a lifelong Scranton resident.
No cameras were allowed inside the church for the funeral mass, but the White House released excerpts of the president's eulogy on behalf of his lifelong friend. The president shared how he and Bell were baptized in this church.
The president also talked about how much he cares for the Bell family and their ties to Scranton. Those who live nearby say the president never lost touch with his Scranton roots.
At one point, Biden said, "The fact is that Tommy had an incredible impact on people, an incredible impact on my family."
Sister Nancy Hawkins met President Biden the last time he visited the city. She waited on her porch through the entire service, even briefly seeing the president again as he drove away.
"It was wonderful. He's a gentleman, a delightful gentleman," said Sister Hawkins. "I'm an immaculate heart of Mary's sister. And we taught him right over there at Saint Paul's school and we taught his friend who was being buried today. They were in the same class together."
"It's lovely to have a friendship that lasts that long because you can talk about your past and growing up, and I'm sure it was, it was meaningful, or he wouldn't be coming back to the funeral," added Sister Hawkins.
Outside Zummo's Cafe along Marion Street, spectators took a little extra time sipping their coffee, hoping to catch a glimpse of the president during his somber trip back home.
"It's very nice that he's able to pay his respects. I think that's great. So, that's really what we're here for. He's not really here like, he's campaigning," said Lindsay Joyce, Zummo's Cafe General Manager.
"I think it's really important that he's coming back to pay respects for a friend. I think that really says a lot about who he is and, you know, the values that he has and the roots that he has in this area," added Amy Simolo of Scranton.
Following the funeral service, President Biden returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, where he boarded a flight destined for Delaware.