Former President Donald Trump paid tribute to his first wife, Ivana Trump, by joining their three children on Wednesday at a funeral for the 1980s style icon and the businesswoman who helped build an empire that catapulted him to the presidency . “A very sad day, but at the same time a celebration of a wonderful and beautiful life,” the former president wrote on social media platform Truth Social, before heading to the funeral. “It won’t be easy!!!” added Trump, who attended the service with his current wife, former first lady Melania Trump. Donald and Ivana Trump’s three children — Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric — and their families followed Ivana’s gold-colored casket into St. Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Tiffany Trump, daughter of the former president and his second wife, Marla Maples, also attended the service, as did family friends including Jeanine Pirro, co-host of Fox News’ “The Five,” and real estate developer Charles Kushner. and Ivanka Trump’s husband’s father, Jared Kushner. Fashion designer Dennis Basso, a longtime friend of Ivana Trump, was also among the mourners. Trump’s family announced Thursday that the 73-year-old died at her Manhattan home. Authorities ruled the death an accident, caused by blunt force trauma to her torso. “We all want to remember Ivana as the vibrant, social person she was,” longtime friend R. Couri Hay said before the service. Ivana and Donald Trump met in the 1970s and were married from 1977 to 1992. In the 1980s, they were a power couple and became quite famous in her own right, instantly recognizable with her blonde hair and glamorous look . Ivana Trump has also been involved in her husband’s businesses, managing one of his casinos in Atlantic City and selecting some of the design elements in New York’s Trump Tower. Their very public split was ugly, but in recent years they have been amicable. Ivana Trump was an enthusiastic supporter of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and said they spoke regularly. Our Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
