ATLANTA — Baseball legend and American icon Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron is being laid to rest in Atlanta today, in a private ceremony at Friendship Baptist Church.
The funeral for Aaron, who died last Friday at the age of 86, began at 1 p.m.
Aaron's grandson, Raynal Aaron, shared four defining quotes from the legend who came to be known as "Hammerin' Hank" on Wednesday.
"Grandfather, thank you for your love and your guidance, and I'll miss you every day," Raynal said.
Below, you can read those four quotes:
- "My wife Billye and I give a lot, but that's what we're here to do. I just feel like nothing that we have belongs to us, it was given to us by God, and when we leave here, I don't know of anybody who will go with a casket full of money. So why not let somebody else enjoy what we've been fortunate enough to accumulate?"
- "I am hoping someday that some kid, Black or white, hits more home runs than myself. Whoever it shall be, I will be pulling for them."
- "I'm not concerned about how I am perceived as a baseball player. I am concerned about how I am thought of as a human being."
- "I don't want them to forget Babe Ruth. I want them to remember me."
Aaron will later be entombed at the historic South-View Cemetery, where Civil Rights heroes such as Julian Bond and John Lewis are also buried.
Aaron is survived by his wife, Billye, and five children.