Two weeks before he would suffer his first collapse Senator Ted Kennedy asked me to find him a chair.

It was April 30, 2008, and Kennedy was hemmed in behind the buffet table at the Speaker, Nancy Pelosi's office.

The Speaker was hosting a luncheon in honor of outgoing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern - who had just addressed the joint session of Congress - and the room was stuffed with Irish American big wigs and wannabes.

The lion amongst them all was Kennedy. But he looked grey in the face, and was clearly in some distress.

"I need a chair," he said, to no-one in particular. Spying me looking at him, he said "Would you mind bringing me a chair?"

I cast around wildly and grabbed a spare chair before a well-endowed Irish American Hyacinth Bucket type could take it from under me.

"I'm saving it for someone," she said snootily. "Well it better be for Senator Edward Kennedy or else I'm taking it," I said.

In as dignified manner as possible, I wrestled the chair away from her and brought it back to the Senator.

He sat down gingerly and to my horror, he looked as if he was going to pass out.

I held his hand and asked him could I get anything.

"A glass of water with some lemon," was the reply

Ignoring the well-heeled throngs crowding the luxury buffet table, I scooted outside and swiped three glasses of water.

I didn't think one would be enough.

I waited til he'd recovered his composure and then wished him well and he said; "Thank you."

As he turned back to join Senator John Kerry, he said: "Kelly, don't give up - we will pass immigration reform."

To say I was stunned would be an understatement.

He must have met thousands of people every year but he had that rare political ability to remember people's names.

He remembered every one. From staffers to superstars. He remembered them all.

I wished him well and wish now I had known it would be the last time I would see him.

I would have thanked him for everything he had done for us in the Irish Lobby for Immigratiom Reform.

He supported all our efforts and appeared at both our rallies in 2006 and 2007.

His office was always open to our queries and he did everything he could to help our organization and to help the unoducmented Irish.

And I would have thanked him for his generosity to me personally.

In July 2006, Kennedy chaired a Senate panel on immigration with Sens Arlen Specter and Jeff Sessions and he had invited Niall O'Dowd, the chairman of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform  to speak.

During the session Kennedy looked out over the panel and said: "I can't let the moment go by without welcoming Kelly Fincham as well, and thank her so much for all that she has done."

That was the kind of politician - and man - Ted Kennedy was.

He remembered all of us.