Funeral plans have been set for legendary boxer and humanitarian Muhammad Ali.
The Louisville native died late Friday evening at a Phoenix hospital of septic shock after battling respiratory problems. He was 74.
News of Ali’s death drew hundreds of mourners to the boxing legend’s boyhood home in West Louisville and the Muhammad Ali Center in the city’s downtown. Flags in the city are flying at half-staff, and elected officials from across the state called his death a huge loss for Louisville and the world.
Prior to the funeral service, a procession will carry Ali’s casket through the streets of Louisville. The procession will begin at 9 a.m. Friday on Bardstown Road and travel west to 34th street before returning to Cave Hill Cemetery.
Ali will be buried in Louisville’s Cave Hill Cemetery. His burial will be preceded by a public funeral at the KFC Yum Center in downtown Louisville. The service will begin at 2 p.m. and will have limited seating. Information on tickets is not yet available.
The funeral will also be live streamed via the Ali Center’s website.
Ali’s family is asking that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to the Muhammad Ali Center.
In addition to his wife, Lonnie, and his brother, Rahman, Muhammad Ali is survived by nine children.
