Details Announced for Justice O’Connor’s Funeral

The Cathedral is honored to host the funeral on Tuesday for former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and we have details about who will be speaking.

President Biden will lead the tributes to Justice O’Connor, along with Chief Justice John Roberts; journalist and biographer Evan Thomas; and the Justice’s youngest son, Jay O’Connor.

The officiating clergy will be the bishop of Washington, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, joined by Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith; retired Bishop (and former Cathedral Dean) Nathan Baxter; and the Rev. Dr. Jane Fahey, who was a clerk for Justice O’Connor and is now a Presbyterian minister.

Bishop Baxter served as dean of the Cathedral when Justice O’Connor was a member of the Cathedral Chapter, or governing board, for eight years during the 1990s.

Several of the honorary pallbearers and readers are Justice O’Connor’s grandchildren. Music will be led by the Cathedral Choir, with several guest musicians who are friends of the O’Connor family: tenor Dennis McNeil and baritone Jim Busterud.

Justice O’Connor chose many of the readings, hymns and music herself, and the service will follow the form of a typical Rite 2 funeral from the Book of Common Prayer and the Episcopal Church.

Due to security concerns, the service is by invitation only, but the public is invited to join via the livestream. The service will also may be televised by most major network channels.