Robert Barker/University Photography

More than 1,000 mourners pay their respects to Stephen Weiss in the high-ceilinged hall at Cipriani 42nd Street.

"Best friend." "Family man." "Generous." "Noble." "Courageous."

These were the descriptions, repeated by speaker after speaker, of the late Stephen H. Weiss '57, chairman emeritus of the Cornell Board of Trustees, at his memorial service in Cipriani 42nd Street, New York City, May 20. Weiss died April 16 at age 72.

All of the 10 speakers at the service, including eldest son, Michael, 24, mentioned Weiss' great capacity to give, and many referred to Weiss as their "best friend."

More than 1,000 people packed the majestic hall with its 80-foot-high painted ceilings, ornamental columns and archways. Before the event, a large flat screen above the podium and bouquets of yellow and white roses showed a photograph of Weiss, with his life's span: Oct. 30, 1935, to April 16, 2008.

Weiss, a presidential councillor and a board-elected member of the Cornell Board of Trustees for 24 years (1973-97), including eight as chair (1989-97), helped select four Cornell presidents and endowed numerous chairs and fellowships. He "was a great believer in the importance of undergraduate teaching," said his brother and business partner Roger Weiss. Professionally, Stephen Weiss co-founded the investment management firm Weiss, Peck & Greer and served as its CEO and chairman of its executive committee until 2001; he was a managing director and senior portfolio manager of Neuberger Berman LLC at the time of his death.

Robert Barker/University Photography

Michael Weiss, Stephen's eldest son, speaks at his father's memorial service.

Henry Lasky, Weiss' Cornell freshman roommate 55 years ago, described his friend's "absolutely extraordinary spirit," adding that Weiss' ability to nurture friendships was "practically an art form." Similarly, Cornell President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes said, "He had a thousand best friends, or a thousand friends who each counted Steve as his best friend."

An avid tennis player and a regular at the racetrack, Weiss also lived life with humor, all the speakers noted. He once told Cornell benefactor Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Weill Cornell Medical College Board of Overseers, that if Weill dropped the L's in his name and replaced them with two S's, "it would have a better sound to it," recalled Roger Weiss '61.

Weiss family physician Harvey Klein told of the time he gave his friend a white medical coat inscribed with "Stephen H. Weiss, Honorary Physician." Klein also recalled grumbling that he had to get back to treating an extremely talkative and difficult patient. Weiss said, "Let me try," and he entered Klein's examination room wearing the white coat and introduced himself as Klein's junior associate. Weiss emerged 20 minutes later, threw down the coat and said, "'Holy God, you don't really do this all day?' But the really interesting part was that the patient loved him, always asked after him," Klein said.

Klein related another anecdote about a day at the races when Weiss "won a triple" -- a $900 payoff on a $1 bet -- and the two friends high-fived and walked out only to realize "Steve had forgotten his $2,000 binoculars."

Several speakers mentioned the irony that Weiss' heart, his greatest personal asset, was also his downfall. Brother Roger quoted the Rudyard Kipling poem "If":

"And so hold on when there is nothing in you/except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'"

After "26 years of serious cardiac disease, [and] three major operations, Steve did a hell of a job of holding on," Roger Weiss said.

As a bachelor, Weiss often asked advice from friends about his girlfriends, many speakers recounted humorously. However, wife "Suzanne was clearly the only one possible," Rhodes said, adding, "Suzanne, how much we owe you for all that Steve was and is."

In addition to Suzanne and Michael, Weiss is survived by children Heather, Jonny and Nathalie.