Stirring memorial service held for America's most trusted man - Walter Cronkite

New York, July 24 (ANI): Some of the biggest names in journalism filed into a Park Avenue church on Thursday to honor the extraordinary life of legendary newsman and America's most trusted man Walter Cronkite.

A stirring memorial service at St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan was organised.

"Walter was such a good friend. I can't get over it," said CBS colleague Andy Rooney, who met Cronkite in London while they were covering World War II.

A heartbroken Rooney couldn't finish his eulogy and left the podium, the New York Daily News reports.

It was a somber moment during an otherwise upbeat service for Cronkite, who died last week at 92.

Sanford Socolow, who produced "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite," spoke of Cronkite the reporter.

"Walter had a reputation of being cool, calm and collected, no matter what the circumstance," he said.

Mike Ashford, Cronkite's longtime sailing buddy, spoke of his friend's love of the sea.

"I was often asked, 'What's he really like?' And I would always answer, 'He's just the way you hope he is,' " he said.

Cronkite's son, Chip, spoke of a father who set a good example for his children.

"Thank you, Dad," he said. "Thanks for being such a good role model."

Colleagues and competitors alike showed up, including Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer, Connie Chung, Dan Rather, Matt Lauer, Tom Brokaw, Les Moonves, Brian Williams, Steve Croft and Morley Safer.

"It was a lovely service," said ABC's Charles Gibson. "As great a journalist as he was, as great an anchor and whatever, it was more about him personally and about the gentleness of him as a man and of the wonderful love he had of the sea," he said. "It was just nice."

Family members carried Cronkite's simple wooden coffin inside the church. A band played "When the Saints Go Marching In," and producer Bill Harbach read a poem called "Sea-Fever."

"Walter would have loved it," said ABC's Barbara Walters. (ANI)