Washington Mourns Trailblazing Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor: See the Moving Memorial Photos

O'Connor, appointed as the nation's first female Supreme Court justice in 1981, died in Phoenix earlier this month

Mourners gathered on Tuesday to remember the life of Sandra Day O'Connor following her death on Dec. 1 at the age of 93.

O'Connor, appointed as the nation's first female Supreme Court justice in 1981, died in Phoenix, Arizona. The court announced her death in a statement, citing "complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer’s, and a respiratory illness."

Related: Sandra Day O'Connor Spoke Passionately About Her Husband's Alzheimer's Journey Long Before Her Symptoms Began

A memorial service for O'Connor was held Tuesday morning at Washington National Cathedral, where President Joe Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts were invited to speak. The service came one day after O'Connor lay in repose in the Supreme Court's Great Hall.

Here, the most powerful photos out of the Washington, D.C., services, as political figures mourn the barrier-breaking justice and say their goodbyes.

O'Connor's Sons Await the Arrival of Her Casket

O'Connor's three sons — Scott O'Connor, Jay O'Connor and Brian O'Connor — await the arrival of their mother's casket ahead of Monday's private ceremony, where she would lie in repose at the Supreme Court's Great Hall.

A Grand Welcome from Her Law Clerks

O'Connor's former law clerks line the path up the steps of the Supreme Court as pallbearers carry the former justice's casket inside.

Current SCOTUS Justices Remember O'Connor

Monday's private ceremony is attended by all nine members of the current court —John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson — and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Fellow Pioneer Kamala Harris Pays Her Respects

Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, walk past a portrait of O'Connor as they pay their respects in the Supreme Court's Great Hall on Monday.

O'Connor was once hailed as the "most powerful woman in the world," a descriptor later bestowed upon Harris when she was sworn in as the nation's first female vice president.

O'Connor's Casket Arrives at the National Cathedral

The flag-draped casket carrying O'Connor arrives at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., for her funeral service on Tuesday.

In October 2018, O'Connor's family released a letter from the 24-year Supreme Court veteran announcing that she had dementia and was "no longer able to participate in public life."

"How fortunate I feel to be an American and to have been presented with the remarkable opportunities available to the citizens of our country," she wrote. "As a young cowgirl from the Arizona desert, I never could have imagined that one day I would become the first woman justice on the U.S. Supreme Court."

Members of Congress Attend the Memorial Service

Members of Congress, including Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, as well as other notable political figures, such as U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, are on hand for Tuesday's memorial service.

POTUS Honors an American Legend

Joe Biden appears at a private, invitation-only memorial for O'Connor.

In a statement released after her passing was announced, Biden said of O'Connor: "She gave her life to public service, even holding elected office, and never forgot those ties to the people whom the law is meant to serve. She sought to avoid ideology, and was devoted to the rule of law and to the bedrock American principle of an independent judiciary."

Clarence Thomas and Other Justices Sit in the Crowd

Justice Clarence Thomas (seen here with his wife, Ginni) puts a hand on his head during the memorial service for his former colleague. O'Connor joined the court a decade before Thomas, now 75, and the two shared the bench for 15 years.

Biden Delivers Remarks at O'Connors Funeral

Calling her an ”American pioneer," Biden delivers remarks about O'Connor, calling her "gracious and wise, civil and principled."

Elsewhere in his remarks, Biden recounted how, "more than 40 years ago, on a Wednesday in September 1981, the Senate Judiciary Committee came to order. I was the ranking member of that committee. The day's business was momentous: the nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first woman in American history to serve as a Supreme Court Justice on the United States Supreme Court."

A Tearful Goodbye from Family

O'Connor's surviving family members shed tears during her memorial. The justice served on the Supreme Court for 25 years before retiring in 2006 to care for her husband, John, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

O'Connor was nominated for her seat by President Ronald Reagan, and would go on to become known as a moderate conservative with an open-minded approach that oftentimes made her a swing vote. She was tough on law and order issues, but also supported abortion rights.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.