LOUISVILLE, Kentucky: Muhammad Ali crafted the plan for his final tribute years ago, long before he died. On Friday, his family will honor him just like he planned, with a global celebration in his hometown.
A procession will carry his body down an avenue in Louisville that bears his name, through his boyhood neighborhood and down Broadway, the scene of the parade that honored the brash young man — then known as Cassius Clay — for his gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.
A day after Ali died at age 74 from complications of Parkinson’s disease, a family spokesman outlined plans for Ali’s funeral as people from Manila to Louisville to his adopted home of Arizona mourned the boxing great’s passing.
The family “certainly believes that Muhammad was a citizen of the world ... and they know that the world grieves with him,” spokesman Bob Gunnell said at a news conference in Scottsdale, not far from Ali’s home in his final years.
Family members will accompany Ali’s remains to Louisville within the next two days. A private funeral will be held Thursday.
After the Friday procession, a memorial service open to the public will be held at the KFC YUM! Center. Eulogists will include former President Bill Clinton, comedian Billy Crystal — who has done a masterful impression of Ali — and sports television host Bryant Gumbel. The ceremony will be led by an imam in the Muslim tradition but include representatives of other faiths.
“Muhammad Ali was clearly the people’s champion,” Gunnell said, “and the celebration will reflect his devotion to people of all races, religions and backgrounds.”
The spokesman said Ali died in Arizona at 9:10 p.m. Friday local time of “septic shock due to unspecified natural causes,” three decades after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
It is not clear what specifically caused the septic shock. However, difficulty swallowing is among complications of Parkinson’s disease and it can worsen at the end of life.
Ali was mourned around the globe Saturday, and in his hometown, not even pouring rain could stop the tributes for “The Greatest.”
Ali’s death held special meaning in Louisville, where he was the city’s favorite son.
Cars lined both sides of the street. Visitors piled flowers and boxing gloves around the marker designating it a historical site. They were young and old, black and white, friends and fans.
“Muhammad Ali belongs to the world,” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said at a memorial service outside Metro Hall. “But he only has one hometown.”
A procession will carry his body down an avenue in Louisville that bears his name, through his boyhood neighborhood and down Broadway, the scene of the parade that honored the brash young man — then known as Cassius Clay — for his gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.
A day after Ali died at age 74 from complications of Parkinson’s disease, a family spokesman outlined plans for Ali’s funeral as people from Manila to Louisville to his adopted home of Arizona mourned the boxing great’s passing.
The family “certainly believes that Muhammad was a citizen of the world ... and they know that the world grieves with him,” spokesman Bob Gunnell said at a news conference in Scottsdale, not far from Ali’s home in his final years.
Family members will accompany Ali’s remains to Louisville within the next two days. A private funeral will be held Thursday.
After the Friday procession, a memorial service open to the public will be held at the KFC YUM! Center. Eulogists will include former President Bill Clinton, comedian Billy Crystal — who has done a masterful impression of Ali — and sports television host Bryant Gumbel. The ceremony will be led by an imam in the Muslim tradition but include representatives of other faiths.
“Muhammad Ali was clearly the people’s champion,” Gunnell said, “and the celebration will reflect his devotion to people of all races, religions and backgrounds.”
The spokesman said Ali died in Arizona at 9:10 p.m. Friday local time of “septic shock due to unspecified natural causes,” three decades after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
It is not clear what specifically caused the septic shock. However, difficulty swallowing is among complications of Parkinson’s disease and it can worsen at the end of life.
Ali was mourned around the globe Saturday, and in his hometown, not even pouring rain could stop the tributes for “The Greatest.”
Ali’s death held special meaning in Louisville, where he was the city’s favorite son.
Cars lined both sides of the street. Visitors piled flowers and boxing gloves around the marker designating it a historical site. They were young and old, black and white, friends and fans.
“Muhammad Ali belongs to the world,” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said at a memorial service outside Metro Hall. “But he only has one hometown.”
