'Superman' Reeve Honored at Memorial in New York

NEW YORK - Hundreds of friends and family attended a memorial for Christopher Reeve in New York on Friday, paying tribute to the "Superman" actor who died this month after spending the last decade of his life paralyzed .

New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, were among the guests, as well as a host of show business names such as Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close and Mary Tyler Moore.

The memorial was held at Juilliard School in New York where Reeve studied acting more than 30 years ago.

Reeve, whose most famous role was Clark Kent in the 1978 film "Superman," became an ardent campaigner for spinal cord research after being paralyzed in a riding accident nine years ago.

Speakers at the memorial, which was closed to the media, included politicians who worked with Reeve to campaign for increased funding for spinal cord research, such as Senator Tom Harkin.

The actor died on Oct. 10 in Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, New York, after suffering a heart attack at his home during treatment for an infected bedsore wound.

Reeve, 52, was survived by his wife, Dana, and their son, Will, 12. He also had two children from a previous relationship -- Matthew, 25, and Alexandra, 21.