On Monday, Jan. 29, Milwaukeeans were greeted with icy walkways and streets as a steady rain fell during the day. In Brookfield, Wisconsin, McGuire family members, former players and friends gathered for a private waking of Al at the Becker Ritter Funeral Home at 9 a.m. Afterward, the funeral cortege brought Al on his final trip to Milwaukee, to the Gesu Catholic Church on the Marquette University campus.

At noon, as the Gesu bells chimed the hour as Al's body was lain in state at the old church on Wisconsin Avenue, which was the original starting point of the first Al's Run back in 1978. Some 2,500 people braved the cold and the steady rains to pay their respects during a six-hour public waking.

In addition to the beautiful floral displays (one even included a basketball in its base), at the front of the church was a large 4-by-5-foot black and white photo of Al, in his familiar triumphant pose: a large smile creased his face as his arms were raised above his head, like a heavyweight boxer winning by a TKO.

Al's family, including sons Allie and Robbie, and daughter, Noreen, as well as Al's grandson, A.J., quietly greeted friends, acquaintances and people Al hardly ever knew, but who probably felt they knew him, with Outgoing Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, retired University of Wisconsin basketball coach Dick Bennett and others famous and not-so-famous were among the mourners. Even Al's old Rat Pack showed up: Jerry Savio, Bob Roedel, Walter Wong and Joe DuChateau - Al affectionately referred to them as the Apple Dumpling Gang.

After the initial heavy crowds wore off in the middle of Monday, people trickled in and out of Gesu to say their goodbyes. Only the quiet strains of a harp interrupted the muffled words of condolences and conversation. These were all of Al's people. All equal in the eyes of Al. Even Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause quietly shuffled into the church to pay his respects.

As the dark afternoon drew to a close and funeral time neared, Pat McGuire arrived with other family members as the rains fell harder on the streets and sidewalks outside of Gesu. Mourners and Marquette students scurrying to and from classes, danced past each other on the narrow walkway in front of the church. Marquette's past and future were quickly passing each other like ships in the night.

Al McGuire was bigger than Marquette and bigger than Milwaukee. It was not Manhattan, but Al looked at Milwaukee as only he could, noted Chris Peppas, who covered McGuire for the Marquette Tribune from 1973-74. "When Al came to Milwaukee and saw the skyline, he said, 'Milwaukee is Manhattan with a crewcut.'"

The public waking continued past the scheduled 6 p.m. finish because of the long lines of mourners still waiting to greet Pat and other family members: Al's brothers, Dick and Johnny; his sister, Kathleen and brother-in-law Gene Mann.

As the organ strains of Danny Boy wafted through the church, the lines slowly dissipated. At 6:50 p.m., an elderly woman wearing a shawl, trudged up to the open coffin, paid her respects and slowly trudged to the back of the church. Shortly thereafter, the coffin was closed, and the black and white photo of Al was removed from the altar.

Al also was known to have said that the size of one's funeral depended on the weather. There was a chill in the air that cut through people's coats that night, but the rain and cold did not keep away the mourners. The funeral mass that evening was a magical event, as 1,150 people jammed into the 1,100-seat church.

Al McGuire, the Last Warrior, was given a sendoff that befitted "presidents and kings," said Jackie Burke, one of the players from his 1970 NIT championship team. In the tradition of the Roman Catholic high mass, the funeral was concelebrated by Marquette President Rev. Robert Wild, former team chaplain William Kelly and Gesu Pastor Rev. Winzenburg. The music (which featured violin solos by Al's oncologist Edward Filmanowicz), the prayers and the eulogies were not only beautifully appropriate, but dignified, moving and magical. Al's grandchildren honored him with their participation in the service.

Gesu was packed with a "Who's Who" of basketball, including Ray and Joey Meyer, Bobby Cremins, Utah Jazz President Scott Layden, Hubie Brown, Billy Packer, Pat Kennedy, Bulls' GM Krause, and CBS sportscaster Dick Enberg, whom the family asked to write the eulogy for the funeral program. Enberg leaned on Al's own personal lexicon, the famed McGuireisms, to pay tribute to his friend.

But it was not just the suits, but the street people, blue collar workers, students and others who jammed Gesu that night, coming in out of the steady rains that fell from the skies, not unlike the rains that fell on Milwaukee the night Al won his one and only national championship nearly 24 years earlier. Al McGuire treated everyone he met, regardless of their station in life, with respect and dignity. It was returned on this night.

The rains could not dampen the love and warmth inside the church that night. It was a magical night. They all came for Al, including some 30 of his former players, six of whom were his pallbearers: Jackie Burke, George Thompson, Ric Cobb, Brian Brunkhorst, Rick Majerus, Earl Tatum, Ulice Payne and Ed Janka. The current Marquette men's team, which served as honor guard, and the women's team also attended the 90-minute service.

Rev. Winzenburg, who said the mass, reminded the congregation of how Al had lived his life. "Al McGuire lived with gusto and died with dignity. We remember a man who taught us how to live and how to die."

During the homily, Marquette President Rev. Robert Wild waxed nostalgic about his days at Marquette when Al's teams were among the top in the nation. "Al managed the clock of his own life with dignity and with hopefulness."

"I confess I do have this image of Al arriving up at the pearly gates. Like the rest of us, Al surely has his faults and St. Peter might think that what he will do is the usual admissions check of the good book.

"But then Al will start talking, turning on his New York charm and wit, using a little hype here, a little street smarts there - hey, St. Peter didn't stand a chance."

Before Sen. Kohl began his eulogy, all of the former players and coaches affiliated with Al during his career, slowly strode up to the altar. They stood dignified and proud as a testament to the life of Al McGuire. As they stood, overlooking his coffin, it was almost as if Al was making everyone look at them: "Hey, these guys are my life. They made me."

All of them took his admonition about not letting basketball use them to heart. The men who stood before the congregation had become surgeons, lawyers, CPA's, law enforcement officers, teachers and, yes, coaches. It was one of the most moving parts of the service.

The list included players from his earliest days to his national championship team. Butch Lee, Bo Ellis, Jim Chones, Tom Flynn, Brian Brunkhorst, Barry Brennan, Joe Thomas, Ric Cobb, George Thompson, Ulice Payne, Jim Langenkamp, Hugh McMahon, Earl Tatum, Lloyd Walton, Maurice Lucas, Jim Boylan, Bill Neary, Craig Butrym, Jackie Burke, as well as coaches Rick Majerus, Hank Raymonds, Ed Janka and others. They laughed and cried as Sen. Kohl and Allie talked about Coach Al.

Sen Kohl noted that Al had never changed in the 30-plus years he knew him, and considered him a "great friend," "an original, and "there never was nor will there ever be another Al McGuire."

"Al McGuire was a basketball coach, and for 20 years he coached basketball like Beethoven wrote music, like Shakespeare wrote poetry and like Rembrandt painted pictures."

Allie began the eulogy of his father by thanking all of those who cared for him at Franciscan Woods during his illness, especially for giving Al "his dignity" in his last days.