Ivanka Trump delivered an emotional eulogy for her mom Ivana on Wednesday, July 20, remembering the late New York City icon and businesswoman as a trailblazer who believed there was nothing she could not do in heels.
Ivanka said in a moving speech during her mother's funeral service at the St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church on the Upper East Side that growing up, her mom did not tell her a woman could do anything she wanted to, but she showed her.
The former first daughter added that her mother was a trailblazer to men and women alike, according to the New York Post. Ivanka, wearing a black dress and a pearl necklace, remembered how her mother taught them to spearfish and cooked what they caught. The mom-of-three said her mom expanded their minds.
Ivanka held back tears during her eulogy
Ivanka recalled following her mom Ivana, the glamorous Czech-born businesswoman and ex-wife of former U.S. President Donald Trump, around Trump Plaza as she supervised daily operations in the 1980s, calling her pure fun when she was off the job. The 40-year-old held back tears as she said, "Mom, I'll always love you today and every day. You were and always will be the light of our lives."
Don Jr. called his mom fearless and independent at the private service, which was attended by roughly 100 mourners, for escaping the iron curtain of the then-communist Czech Republic. He added that his mother shattered so many norms.
Also giving heartfelt speeches at the funeral service were Eric Trump, his wife Lara, and Ivana's granddaughter, Kai, who is Don Jr.'s teenage daughter. Family friends Dorothy Curry and Dennis Basso also spoke at the service, according to People Magazine.
Donald Trump did not speak at the funeral service
One guy who surprisingly did not speak at the service was former commander-in-chief, Donald Trump. He talked about Ivana on his social media platform, Truth Social, before the ceremony, writing that it was a very sad day but, at the same time, a celebration of a wonderful and beautiful life.
He sat solemnly in the first row with his wife Melania and their son Barron. Donald and Ivana divorced in the 1990s. The power couple was married for 15 years between 1977 and 1992.
Ivana, who originally came from what was then Czechoslovakia, was a notable socialite who became the subject of intense public interest alongside the former president during the 1980s and 1990s. After they separated, Ivana launched a line of beauty products, clothing, and jewelry.
Ivana died last week at the age of 73 after falling down the stairs at her Manhattan home, according to BBC. Others seen at her funeral included Malaysian designer Zang Toi, TV host Jeanine Pirro, real estate developer Charles Kushner, and George Wayne, a former journalist of Vanity Fair known for his interviews with celebrities.
