Marco Rubio pays tribute to father with a statement posted on his Web site today, remembering him with humor and pride as he prepared for a visitation service that began at 6 p.m. in Miami.

My dad was proud of all of his children and grandchildren. And he would have been proud of me no matter what I chose to do. But I think what made him especially proud of the career I have chosen is because of how far it is from the one he had.

For years, my dad would work banquets at hotels. Many times, these events featured a well-known figure giving a speech. At these events, there are usually only two people standing behind a table.  The speaker who is behind a podium, and a bartender behind the bar.

My dad was the one behind the bar. But he worked all his life so that his kids could make the symbolic journey from behind the bar to behind the podium.  And in fact, I literally did.

That journey is a testament to the greatness of America. And that journey was the purpose of my father’s life. (read the full statement here)