Hundreds of mourners gathered at Hartford’s Cathedral of Saint Joseph Tuesday for the funeral of Connecticut’s 87th governor, M. Jodi Rell, who passed away last month in Florida after a brief illness.

Connecticut’s second female governor - a Republican who succeeded her predecessor, John G. Rowland, after he resigned amid controversy - was remembered for her “caring heart and decisive leadership”. Gov. Ned Lamont, who spoke at the funeral, praised Rell for her “uncompromising values” and “tireless dedication to the people of Connecticut”.

Rell is being buried next to her husband Lou in a private ceremony at the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown.