PHOENIX (AP) Family, friends and constituents will gather today at Arizonas Capitol to pay their respects to Sen. John McCain, the first of two days of services here before he departs the state he has represented since the 1980s.
A private ceremony was expected this morning at the Arizona State Capitol Museum rotunda, where McCain will lie in state.
That ceremony will include remarks from Gov. Doug Ducey and former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, plus a benediction from Sen. Jeff Flake. It will also mark the first appearance of McCains family members since the longtime Arizona senator died of brain cancer on Saturday at age 81.
Later in the afternoon, the Capitol will be open to members of the public who want to pay their respects. The viewing will go on as long as people are waiting in line, Rick Davis, McCains former presidential campaign manager, said Monday.
For some Arizona residents, McCain has been a political fixture in the state for their entire lives. He took office in Arizona in the early 1980s, first as a congressman and then as a senator in the seat once held by Sen. Barry Goldwater.
McCain is the third person to lie in state in the rotunda in the last 40 years; others were Arizona State Senator Marilyn Jarrett in 2006 and Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens, a Tucson resident, in 1980.
The memorial service will see multiple tributes, readings and musical performances, including a tribute from former Vice President Joe Biden.
Another viewing will be at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, with a final memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral.
A website laying out details for the services says to send any flowers to a local VA hospital.
Final farewells to Sen. McCain begin at Arizona
