Penn State icon Paterno laid to rest
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- With students, alumni and fans lining the streets, Joe Paterno's funeral procession drove slowly yesterday past Beaver Stadium and through the town where the longtime Penn State football coach lived and worked for more than 60 years.
Thousands of mourners waited on the sidewalks, more than four deep in places, for a glimpse of the electric-blue hearse carrying the casket. The convoy also included two blue school buses carrying Paterno's family, former players and other guests.
As a silent crowd looked on, the procession passed a library that bears Paterno's name on its way to Pine Hall cemetery, the final resting place of the man who led the Nittany Lions to five undefeated seasons.
"The things he did for athletes, the things he did for all students, actually, that alone earns our respect to say one final goodbye," said Alex Jimenez, a sophomore from Manalapan, N.J.
Jay Paterno, one of the coach's sons, sent a message to the mourners via Twitter. "Thank you to all the people who turned out for my father's procession," he wrote. "Very moving."
Joe Paterno died of lung cancer Sunday at 85. He was Penn State's head coach for 46 years and won two national titles before being fired in November in the wake of a child sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
The last few months have been emotionally wrenching for the school's students and alumni, but mourners focused on the inspiration Paterno provided, his accomplishments on and off the field, and his philanthropy.
Two days of public viewing that ended about noon yesterday drew large, somber crowds, despite a wait that lasted hours.
Paterno's family arrived about an hour before the funeral service. His widow, Sue, was first off the bus, followed by Jay. Former Paterno assistant coach Tom Bradley walked with Penn State and NFL great Franco Harris. "Today's Mass was a celebration. We laid to rest a great man," Bradley said. "He meant so much to so many people."
The university will hold a final public service for Paterno Thursdayat its basketball arena.
