A farewell to Farley
December 23, 1997
About 50 members of the local and national media kept a respectful distance today as the friends and family of Chris Farley, the Madison actor and comedian who died at 33 in Chicago last week, gathered to remember him at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church on the west side.
Among the mourners at his 11 a.m. funeral Mass were some of Farley's best friends from show business, including "Saturday Night Live'' colleagues Rob Schneider and Adam Sandler, who arrived with actor Tom Arnold in a limousine about 10 a.m. A half hour earlier, a luxury coach from Chicago arrived carrying members of Second City, the comedy troupe where in 1987 Farley launched the career that had recently brought him top billing in large-grossing motion pictures.
The Associated Press reported that "Saturday Night Live's'' Lorne Michaels also was seen entering the church, along with former cast members Dan Aykroyd and Chris Rock and actors John Goodman and George Wendt.
The Farley family had asked that today's service be limited to close friends and family members, a request that appeared to be honored. By 8 a.m., a dozen members of the media were positioned on the sidewalk adjacent to South Owen Drive about 100 yards from the entrance to the church.
By 10 a.m. the number of media had swelled to around 50 and included a half dozen television news trucks from Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. Reporters from the show business television shows "Entertainment Tonight'' and "Extra!'' were on hand, along with writers representing People and Entertainment Weekly magazines.
There were no formal interviews but on several occasions members of the clergy involved with today's service walked over to reporters to share their thoughts and the feelings of the family.
They included Father Matt Foley, one of Farley's closest friends, whose name the comedian borrowed for the inspirational speaker who became his best-known character. Foley later presided over the service and gave the homily.
Shortly before 10 a.m., Rev. Kenneth Fiedler of Our Lady of Queen of Peace spoke with reporters. Fiedler said a private service for the family alone was held Monday night.
Fiedler said today was tough for the Farley family. "They're seeing close friends they haven't seen for a while and there have been a lot of tears,'' Fiedler said. They were also able to share a lot of stories and memories of Chris. "That part,'' Fiedler said, "has been delightful.''
Farley was to be buried in Resurrection Catholic Cemetery. A public service was being arranged for later at Edgewood High School, which Farley attended, and other memorials are planned in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, John Farley said.
Pallbearers were Tod Green, Dan Healy, Robert Barry, Greg Meyer, Kevin Cleary, Michael Cleary, Mike Delaney and Pat Finn.
Farley's uncle, Phillip Farley, and aunt, Rosemary Crosby, gave readings during the closed-casket ceremony. Hymns included "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,'' "On Eagle's Wings,'' "All I Ask of You,'' and "Here I Am, Lord.'' The Communion solo was "Ave Maria'' and the closing hymn was Beethoven's triumphant "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You.''
On the front of the program for today's service was printed the "Serenity Prayer'' that is often used to close meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous: "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.''
On the back, accompanied by a picture of Chris Farley, who moved from Madison but never really left, was "A Clown's Prayer.'' It read in part:
"As I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more happiness than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. ... Never let me forget my work is to cheer people, make them happy, make them laugh.''