Memorializing Joe Paterno

JOE PATERNO, whose lifework was done before massive crowds at Beaver Stadium, will be laid to rest at a private burial today.

The private funeral will be held at 2 p.m. at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, on the University Park campus near Curtin Road and Allen Street. The procession, which is scheduled to begin at 3, will leave the center, turn left onto Curtin Road near the Pattee-Paterno Library and travel past Beaver Stadium. It will then turn right onto Porter Road, right onto College Avenue and head west through downtown State College.

A second public viewing will be held today from 8 a.m. to noon at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.

A public memorial service, "A Memorial for Joe," will be held tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the 15,261-seat Bryce Jordan Center. The service will be broadcast on Big Ten Network, BTN2GO and BTN.com. It will re-air at 10 p.m. The service also will be live-streamed on gopsusports.com.

Tomorrow's classes have not been officially canceled, but PSU Provost Rob Pangborn said the faculty can use discretion in holding or rescheduling classes. He said professors should recognize the needs of students who wish to pay their respects.

University Faculty Senate policy on class attendance fittingly affirms that students may opt to miss a class meeting due to unavoidable circumstances such as family emergency or religious observance, and that would include the memorial service.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the Paterno family requests donations be made to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania (www.specialolympicspa.org) or the Penn State-THON (The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon; www.thon.org or call 1-800-392-THON).