Tom and Barbara Eagleton, 1968

CLAYTON –Vice President Joe Biden was just beginning his speech here tonight when he stopped mid-sentence, stepped off the stage and hurried towards a woman in the front row.

Biden embraced the woman as the crowd at the fundraiser — where tickets were advertised for as much as $10,000 — waited in their seats, salads on their plate.

Who was the woman?

Barbara Eagleton, who Biden credited with changing his life and salvaging his political career.

Their relationship goes back more than 35 years.

A few weeks after a young Biden was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972,  the Delaware Democrat was devastated by a car accident that killed his wife and daughter.

Biden, then just barely 30, considered giving up his seat to care for his two sons.

“I wanted no part of being a senator,” Biden recalled on Thursday.

But it was veteran Missouri Senator Tom Eagleton, who died in 2007, and his wife Barbara that encouraged Biden to go out to dinner with them and other couples, companionship he has credited with helping him cope with the loss, and, ultimately, remain in Washington.

“Barb and Tom helped changed my life. Literally, not figuratively,” Biden said. “We’ve all had things happen in life when certain people, out of the blue, that are there, and make a difference…Barbara and Tom made a difference. And I just want to publicly acknowledge — Barbara, I love you, what you did.”

Biden was introduced at the fundraiser by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, whose mother, former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, was also in attendance. His speech, which lasted for about 25 minutes, focused on praising President Barack Obama’s “impressive” start.

Tomorrow, Biden will be joined by wife Jill, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, Gov. Jay Nixon and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan for a college affordability discussion at UMSL.