Maggie Daley Death: Chicago Memorializes Their Former First Lady Sunday (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Updated story
As the city of Chicago continues to mourn the Thursday death of the city's former first lady Maggie Daley, a public memorial will be held Sunday at the Chicago Cultural Center.
The wake will be held at the center's Preston Bradley Hall from noon until 10 p.m., the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Attendees are urged to enter the event from the center's Washington Street entrance. She will also be memorialized at a funeral mass at her long-time church, Old St. Patrick's Church, 700 W. Adams at 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Hundreds of people waited outside the Chicago Cultural Center Sunday to pay their respects to Daley Sunday, WBEZ reports. At noon, theaters across Chicago turned off their marquee lights until 10 p.m., the end of the wake, in the former first lady's honor, ABC Chicago reports.
(Scroll down to view a gallery of Maggie Daley through the years.)
Meanwhile, Chicago's city flag has been lowered to half-staff. A memorial bunting has been placed over City Hall's LaSalle Street entrance, in addition to a floral display. Gallery 37 for the Arts, 66 E. Randolph Street, will also have a book on display that children who have been touched by Chicago's former first lady's work may sign.
Maggie Daley died at home, surrounded by family just after 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Thursday, at the age of 68. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and had been in and out of the hospital since then. But despite the illness, she had remained visible in city life through this year.
Mourning Maggie's death, Mayor Rahm Emanuel described the wife of his predecessor, former mayor Richard M. Daley, as the "heart" of the city. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn noted that "the state of Illinois lost a great treasure" with her death. Emanuel is expected to declare an official day of mourning and moment of silence in her honor.
President Obama issued a statement describing Maggie Daley as "an extraordinary woman who dedicated her life to public service," as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
"While she will be sorely missed, her initiatives on behalf of Chicago's youth live on as national models for how to create environments for children to learn and grow outside the classroom," Obama continued. "Maggie's commitment to children and the people of Chicago was surpassed only by her devotion to her family."
Saturday, After School Matters participants gathered to honor the former Chicago first lady's memory. "She is the reason I am who I am today because I found people who help me and who support me," one participant in the program, Dorian Rhea, told ABC.
Chicago magazine has a fantastic roundup of other Chicagoans' reactions to Maggie Daley's passing.
One of Maggie Daley's final public appearances was at her 27-year-old daughter Lally's Nov. 17 wedding. The ceremony had initially been scheduled to take place on New Year's Eve, but had been moved up so that Maggie could fully participate in the festivities. That night, Lally wore the same dress her mother had worn during her 1972 wedding to her father, NBC Chicago reported.
In lieu of flowers, the Daley family has asked that donations be made to either After School Matters or Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Cancer Care Center.
In honor of Maggie Daley's commitment to the city's artistic community, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project are offering up free tickets to their "Global Rhythms" shows 8 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Harris Theater. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, ABC Chicago reports.
A photo gallery of Chicago's former first lady Maggie Daley in recent years:
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First Posted: 11/26/11 02:42 PM ET Updated: 11/27/11 03:48 PM ET