I heard Ray Tucker yesterday on 103.7 the buzz talking about Pat Summerall’s funeral in Texas that includes a “who’s who list” of Dallas Cowboy greats.  I got to hear him speak twice and he always had some great stories to tell. Ray also told about Summerall’s close relationship to Mickey Mantle and how they played golf together often.  John Madden gave the eulogy.

John Madden can’t hold back tears while eulogizing Pat Summerall; ex-Cowboys offer tributes

By David Moore / Reporter
DavidMooreDMN@gmail.com
8:30 pm on April 20, 2013 | Permalink

PLANO — John Madden’s emotional tribute runs long.

There is so much to say about Pat Summerall. How can anyone expect Madden to pack 82 years of his dear friend’s life into a few, concise moments?

The irony is not lost on the more talkative member of this iconic broadcast team.

“I know Pat is up there saying, ‘John, brevity, brevity, brevity,’” Madden says from the sanctuary of Prestonwood Baptist Church.

He pauses and glances skyward.

“One more time, Pat, I’m going to talk over you.”

A broadcaster known for an economy of words was celebrated for his generosity of spirit Saturday morning.

Pat Summerall is a broadcast legend. His work graced the NFL, the PGA, professional tennis and other sports in a network career that spanned 40 years.

But Summerall was more than one of the most recognizable voices of his generation. He was a husband and best friend to his wife, Cheri. He was a father to Susan, Jay and Kyle and a grandfather to their 10 children. He overcame a long battle with alcohol and became a devout Christian who flew to the Holy Land to be baptized in the River Jordan.

Melva and Garland Shelby were among the 1,684 people at Saturday’s memorial service. Nine years ago, their son Adron was in third period when a brain aneurysm no one knew about ruptured, and he died.

The 13-year-old was an organ and tissue donor. His liver went to Summerall.

Adron Shelby gave the gift of life to five people in April 2004. Pat and Cheri Summerall were the only recipients to contact the boy’s parents. The two families became close.

Melva Shelby feels like a part of her son has passed away again with Summerall’s death.

“Right now, our heart and our prayers are with Cheri and the Summerall family,” Melva said as Garland stood by her side. “Nine years ago, we were in the place they are now. We are praying for them, feeling what they are going through.

“Pat was always very humble when we were around him. He always thought he wasn’t worthy to receive our son’s liver. I would tell him, none of us are worthy. It’s the Lord who makes us all worthy. I would tell him not the feel that way.

“He did great work in the nine years he had the liver.”

Summerall worked 16 Super Bowls. He broadcast the U.S. Open in tennis 20 times and was part of the Masters broadcast team for 27 years. But it was his 22-year partnership with Madden that resonates with so many.

When Madden began his remembrance at Saturday’s service, he joked that he needed Summerall to straighten his tie and button his top button. He called the broadcaster a “card-carrying great guy” who treated runners and interns with the same amount of respect and dignity as studio heads and sponsors.

Madden calls Summerall “the toughest, quietest guy I’ve ever known,” a cross between John Wayne and Walter Cronkite. Madden’s voice cracked several times, and he began to cry when he told his friend he loved him.

“There were voices before Pat Summerall, and there will be voices after,” Madden said. “But he is the voice of the NFL.”

Katharine Wiles Luebker, one of 10 grandchildren, spoke of the man they called “Big Pat” and his love of body surfing and all things chocolate.

Kyle Summerall, Pat’s younger son, spoke of how his father defeated his addiction to alcohol after going to the Betty Ford Clinic in the early ’90s.

“He never looked back,” Kyle said. “That’s a testament to his toughness and determination, but most of all the faith he found and the amazing grace which carried him through he rest of his days.”

Jay Summerall spoke of his father becoming an ambassador for the clinic, his charitable causes and his walk in faith.

Pat Summerall began to read the Bible for the first time while he was in the Betty Ford Clinic. His faith took root, flourished and defined the final chapter of his life.

“You know, it’s not how you start in life. It’s how you finish that matters the most,” Dr. Jack Graham, the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist said. “And Pat finished well.”

The tributes weren’t restricted to those who spoke during the service. Cowboys stars past and present came to honor Summerall and celebrate his life.

“He was a wonderful man,” Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said. “There are so many great things about him.

“Probably his greatest achievement was his sobriety and the number of people he helped through the Betty Ford Clinic. He was a great advocate of that center. That’s something he really got behind.

“To come out and remain sober as long as he did was impactful, certainly for me and all of those he helped.”

Roger Staubach, another Cowboy in the Hall of Fame, said Summerall “was always giving, always doing something” for the community. Tight end Jason Witten was struck by his friend’s humility and how he interacted with people on an every-day basis.

“We lost somebody pretty special,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.

“Pat was cherished by the Dallas Cowboys. We certainly know what he meant to the NFL, but he meant a lot to the Cowboys.”

Pat Summerall meant a lot to so many before his death on Tuesday. That doesn’t mean his distinctive voice is quiet.

Ask Melva Shelby.

“My son and Pat are probably in heaven right now, in the presence of the Lord, talking football.”

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20+ injured and 2 have been confirmed dead.. #Prayforboston -@TheTitusTucker

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Aftermath of the Boston Marathon – Graphic warning

Published on Apr 15, 2013

(Boston Globe) Graphic footage. Early scenes of the aftermath of blast at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. By David Abel/Globe Staff

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Boston Marathon 2013 – Raw Footage Right After Bomb Explosion

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Two Explosions at Boston Marathon 2013 – Several Dead and Many Injured F

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Boston Marathon Explosions – Two Bombs Went Off at Boston Marathon Killing Several and Injuring Many Runners and citizens at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

So far 3 have been reported dead and many injured loosing limbs and taking impact from explosion at Boston Marathon 2013. Police have found two more devices that are confirmed bombs that were found and not exploded.

Boston Marathon Explosion 04/15/2013

Published on Apr 15, 2013

Prayers go out to the victims and their families!

Explosion at JFK presidential library in Boston: police

Reuters – 16 mins ago (3:55 CST)

BOSTON (Reuters) – Boston police said on Monday that an explosion occurred at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston after other blasts in the city near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

              Police spokeswoman Neva Coakley said “there has been another explosion at JFK.”

              Rachel Day, a spokeswoman for the John F. Kennedy Library, located about three miles from the marathon’s finish line, said that there was a fire at the library but no one was injured.

              (Reporting By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Scott Malone; Editing by Grant McCool)

Explosions At Boston Marathon Finish Line

UPDATED, 4:45pm: Breaking news updates from the Boston Marathon. The situation is developing. It appears there have been injuries, but it’s unclear what the extent of the damage is. WARNING: Graphic images. posted on April 15, 2013 at 3:02pm EDT

Jessica Testa BuzzFeed Staff posted a few minutes ago

Ellie Hall BuzzFeed Staff posted a few minutes ago

I know, right? Now tell your friends!

Explosions At Boston Marathon Finish Line

Jessica Testa

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• 12 mins ago by WGNO.com Web Desk
• Boston Marathon bombing
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At least 2 dead, dozens injured after two bombs explode at Boston Marathon

At least two people are dead and dozens injured – including up to 10 with amputated limbs – after two bombs tore through the finish line of the Boston Marathon and another exploded near a Boston library, according to the Boston Police Department.

The simultaneous explosions, and reports of two other unexploded devices found near the scene raised suspicions that the blasts, just before 3 p.m., could be part of a terrorist attack. Authorities shut down cellular service in the area in order to prevent remote detonations. Intelligence officials told The Associated Press two unexploded devices were being dismantled, and a third explosion near the JFK Library in the Columbia Point section of Dorchester. Competitors and race organizers were crying as they fled the bloody chaos, while some witnesses reported seeing victims with lost limbs.

“Somebody’s leg flew by my head,” a spectator, who gave his name as John Ross, told the Boston Herald. “I gave my belt to stop the blood.”

The first two explosions occurred at 2:50 p.m. – nearly five hours after the marathon began – about 50 to 100 yards apart, according to Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis. The third explosion occurred several miles southeast of the marathon’s finish line, at around 4:15 p.m. Police could not say if it was related to the earlier explosions.

Witnesses heard booms that sounded like two claps of thunder near the finish line inside the Fairmount Copley Plaza Hotel, according to multiple local reports. The horror unfolded as the city marked the 238th annual Patriot’s Day, commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Video of the scene showed a number of emergency crews in the area tending to victims and blood on the ground near the finish line.

“I saw two explosions. The first one was beyond the finish line. I heard a loud bang and I saw smoke rising,” Boston Herald reporter Chris Cassidy, who was running in the marathon, told the newspaper. “I kept running and I heard behind me a loud bang. It looked like it was in a trash can or something…There are people who have been hit with debris, people with bloody foreheads.”

“There are a lot of people down,” said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg. A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.

About three hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another thunderous explosion could be heard a few seconds later.

Runner Laura McLean of Toronto said she heard two explosions outside the medical tent.

“There are people who are really, really bloody,” McLean said. “They were pulling them into the medical tent.”

Cherie Falgoust was waiting for her husband, who was running the race.  “I was expecting my husband any minute,” she said. “I don’t know what this building is … it just blew. Just a big bomb, a loud boom, and then glass everywhere. Something hit my head. I don’t know what it was. I just ducked.”

Authorities in New York, meanwhile, are deploying counter-terrorism vehicles around landmark sites in Manhattan, including prominent hotels, according to the New York City Police Department.

Nearly 25,000 people, including runners from around the world, competed in Boston’s celebrated 26.2-mile race, attracting huge throngs of onlookers, especially near the finish line.

“This is a horrific day in Boston,” Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured. I have been in touch with the President, Mayor [Thomas] Menino and our public safety leaders. Our focus is on making sure that the area around Copley Square is safe and secured. I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs.”

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