Cronkite Funeral In NY, Will Be Buried In Missouri

NEW YORK — Walter Cronkite's final resting place will be next to his late wife in Missouri, where the two first met, his chief of staff said Saturday.

The 92-year-old former CBS anchorman died Friday at his Manhattan home of disease involving blood vessels in the brain, according to Marlene Adler, his longtime chief of staff.

A private funeral service was scheduled for Thursday at St. Bartholomew's Church. Adler said the Rev. William Tully will preside over the Episcopal service at the Park Avenue church, which the Cronkites attended for many years.

A memorial is to be held within the next month in Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Adler said.

"It will be a fitting tribute to Mr. Cronkite and the life he lived, the people he knew, the people who loved him and the people he admired," said Adler, who headed Cronkite's staff for the past 20 years.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization that works to safeguard press freedoms worldwide, will post remembrances of Cronkite, an honorary co-chairman, on its blog.

"Whenever press freedom needed a champion, he was there," CPJ board chairman Paul Steiger said. "We will miss him."

Cronkite is to be cremated and his remains buried next to his wife, Betsy Cronkite, in the family plot at a cemetery in Kansas City.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Walter and Betsy Cronkite Foundation through the AustinCommunityFoundation.org, which will distribute contributions to various charities the couple supported.

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On the Net:

Committee to Protect Journalists: http://www.cpj.org

Comments

[IDIOTA]

I remember Jane Curtain's skit where she unbuttons her blouse and says, "Walter..."

[Nat Irvin]

One of my greatest memories includes the time when several years ago I sat down besides Walter Cronkite in the Seattle Airport. I was like the little boy I was in 1957 when I used to watch the " Big Picture" as he narrated the story of world war II. He was as gracious as I had hoped.

[Rick in Arizona]

The only one I see who has the honest approach that Walter had is Rachel Maddow.

I wonder how Jane Curtin is taking this loss!

[Zanti]

Rachel, yes. The same gentle toughness, the same quiet (but awesome) integrity.

[Kiranitisme]

One of a kind TV anchor you get to see you and hear. I was lucky to watch him from 1972 to the date he retired. Great man, Great personality.

I want to say one thing. The folks at Fox News are not even qualified to dust off his shoe. Bunch of crooks with nothing positive about anybody who is not a Republican hypocrite and "family values" jerk.

[NotMcCain]

Sad about dementia at the end, but he certainly had a long and fulfilling life--and made a real difference, especially in helping to end the Vietnam War..

I loved his assistant's comment that he was a genuinely great man. He certainly seemed so to me, Nice to know it was the same for those who knew him personally

RIP, Mr. Cronkite..

[wadenelson1]

I suspect if they hauled him home on a train millions of Americans would turn out alongside the tracks to pay honor to this man.

[LemonMeringue]

I think so to.

His was a different era largely because he made it so.

Imagine, if journalists believed their job was to tell the truth, as he did.

[BabblingBrooks]

Ironically, Cronkite's most famous pronouncement, that the Vietnam War was unwinnable, was wrong! The North Vietnamese were coming to the realization that THEY were on the verge of losing when Cronkite's pronouncement helped induce the USA to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The North Vietnamese, long after the war was over, admitted they were on the verge of giving up!

[miguelobrien]

Have to react to the term "news business." Think about it, Darlins. And think about someone using that term and also writing "its'.

And I do heartily agree with the comments expressed. Don't get me wrong. Just had to share some thoughts.

One other thought. Why do not the good people of KCMO and NYC spend 1.4 million each honoring Walter Cronkite and Frank McCourt?

Can someone tell me why not?

[miguelobrien]

To the self-described journalist, and to everyone, especially those who want to honor this good and accomplished man [who is from my own home town and who has a school of journalism named after him and who experienced the same standards of excellence in Missouri education]: please learn how to punctuate "its". It is very simple. The apostrophe means that a letter has been omitted. So if you write "it's", that means you are saying "it is." That simple.

"its" is the possessive pronoun meaning "belongs to."

In all my years of teaching English and writing, do not remember ever seeing its' [cannot punctuate this properly--too confusing].

So ironic, coming from one who deplores the sorry state of journalism. And it is a sorry state, 'tis. English teachers [those who know the craft] have mainly given up, I think.

One last tip: avoid contractions and you will avoid 80% of apostrophe errors. i.e., don't use contractions. [What did I just do?]

[Tunghoy]

I still remember his last newscast, when he ended by saying, "And that's the way it was." I always tried to see his evening newscast.

But what I really enjoyed was the series he narrated, called "You Are There." It was dramatic re-enactments of important historical events, and he would always introduce them by saying, "Everything is the same as it was then, except....you are there."

[writeon1]

I think with him went an age of television news we will never see again. Young people will never understand how lucky those of us who grew up with a class act like Cronkite, really were. It was true news reporting and journalism at its' best. Thank God I grew up not thinkng that news was screaming, yelling, bias and 24 hr. 10 second sound bites. Thank God I grew up when news was truly news or I might have never gone into the news business myself. http://newsy1.wordpress.com

[NoblesseOblige]

My sentiments exactly. We were truly fortunate. Thank you.

[JonW]

We of earlier generations never missed Mr Chronkite's broadcasts of big events as well as his
nightly newscasts , which were accurate, informative and well delivered. He would have never let the
Iraq fiasco go unchallenged. HE WILL BE MISSED!

[Clarabell]

But in fairness I did see him in later years, during the Bush administration, (I think on Larry Kind Live) and I was disappointed that he did not criticize Bush or what he was doing.

[Punkynsnow]

Boy I sure do miss his voice. Things have become increasingly shrill on both sides, and while some are interesting and informed, it's virtually impossible these days to find a sane, moderate, neutral reporting of the facts in the news world such as we had with Mr. Cronkite.

RIP to an American icon.

[Bobzmcishl]

The right wing over at Townhall.com have been thrashing Cronkite over his "Vietnam" pull out broadcast - they don't seem to believe in honesty in journalism, only government propaganda. Mr. Cronkite deserves better - he told us the truth when we needed to hear it. There aren't many like him anymore.

[NotMcCain]

Another thing they don't believe in is "opniion that is scrupulously labelled as 'Commentary'".

Cronkite was a true journalist and respected the difference between fact and opinion. Sad that the Faux and Limbaugh crowd just proves his point about the danger of an ill-informed populace.

[rabb046]

Stay away from Townhall.com.
You deserve better!