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A service of remembrance for Florida’s 37th Governor Reubin  Askew,  was held in Tallahassee this afternoon. He was remembered as a strong, humble, and powerful chief executive with deep faith. Florida’s political elite and hundreds of everyday citizens came to say goodbye.

Reubin Askew suffered a stroke after a bout with pneumonia and died last Thursday.  700, including the state political elite past and present came to remember.

The former governor’s accomplishments were so numerous, former FSU president sandy D’Alemberte couldn’t list them in the six minutes he was given.

“Courage to run for governor are on a program to tax corporate profits,” said D’Alemberte, “the courage to appoint minorities to high office, the courage to oppose a referendum on school busing.”

Son Kevin Askew says his father had an unusual way of dispensing advice.

“As your attorney, I advise you to do this,” said Kevin Askew. “As your father, I advise you to do that. But sometimes, the two opinions clashed and I said, ‘Dad, what am I supposed to do?’ And he said well if you accept my advice as a lawyer, its 500 dollars an hour.”

Richard Davison co-taught a Master’s and PhD class with the governor. He says students didn’t always grasp who was in their presence.

“By the end of the semester they realized that Reubin Askew was not somebody who just was talked about,” said Davidson of the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, “he actually lived and made so much of the history of Florida, and so many issues that they dealt with.”

Former AP reporter David  Powell remembers an unusual politician. “He was determined to get his agenda done every year and knew how to do it,” said Powell.

Reubin Askew’s lesson for today’s politicians is that having convictions and living by them can resonate with voters.

A common refrain when someone dies is that they threw out the mold when they were made. With Reubin Askew that may be true.