Thousands Attend Bernie Mac’s Chicago Memorial Service

Among the crowd were Mac’s famous friends, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, Steve Harvey, Ocean’s Thirteen co-star Don Cheadle, Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson.

“That dude is a very popular guy,” Cedric said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “You know ya’ll were like ‘let me get four tickets to the funeral!’ He’s still the hottest ticket in town.”

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama sent his condolences in the form of a written statement.

“Michelle and I were so deeply sad to hear about your loss,” it read. “He [made] us laugh, and laugh hard. Bernie Mac will be sorely missed.”

Mac died last week from complications due to pneumonia. The 50-year-old had also battled sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease.

“He represented Chicago in a way [that] he knew the street, he knew the people and that’s why he’s the king of comedy,” Mayor Richard Daley said. “He wanted to do something personally to get children away from the life of violence… he had a heart and passion…That’s why as the king of comedy, he never lost his soul in Chicago.”

Attendees saw upon chairs with burgundy cushions, watching two large projector screens flashing images of Mac’s life. As a tribute, his comedy routines were played over Isaac Hayes’ famous songs.

(Hayes, who will co-star in December’s Soul Man with Mac, died last Sunday.)

Mac’s wife of 30 years, Rhonda, was given a No. 1 baseball jersey by the White Sox organization.

Many fans — some of whom had camped out overnight to be guaranteed a spot inside the 10,000-seat House of Hope church — donned shirts with pictures of the comedian across the front.

Mac’s family asks donations to be made to www.berniemacfoundation.org to help find a cure for sarcoidosis.

(source)

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