Saying Goodbye

A Fan's Farewell: Steelers fan celebrates 'final road game'

Black-and-gold 'viewing' honors Garfield man who loved his Steelers

Wednesday, July 06, 2005By Ervin Dyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In silk black-and-gold pajamas, velvety black robe and slippers, James Henry Smith is at rest.
His feet are crossed, his pack of cigarettes and a beer by his side. Steelers highlights are playing on a high-definition TV screen nearby. With the TV remote in his hand, leaning back in his recliner, a Steelers blanket across his legs, it's like a game-day Sunday.

Except that it's not.

It was last night at Samuel E. Coston Funeral Home in Lincoln-Lemington, and family and friends were filing in to pay their final respects to Smith, whom they called one of the biggest Steelers fans in the universe.

Smith, 55, of Garfield, had been ill for two years with prostate cancer. He died last Thursday at the VA Medical Center in Oakland.

A week before, his wife, Denise Finn Smith, had called Coston's to ask if something special could be done to celebrate her husband's life. He wanted to be at home, in the living room, surrounded by photos of family and watching football.

For some viewers, the "living room" brightened a somber occasion.
"I saw it and I couldn't even cry," said Mary Jones, of Wilkinsburg, a longtime friend. "People will see him just the way he was. This is such a celebration."

For others, the moment proved too sweet not to shed a tear.

"I couldn't stop crying after looking at the Steeler blanket in his lap," said MaryAnn Nalls, 58, of Friendship, Smith's sister. "He loved football and nobody did [anything] until the game went off. It was just like he was at home."

This viewing was unusual, acknowledged Roland Criswell, Coston's young funeral director. In the past, with the rash of deaths of young men, families sometimes asked that they be laid out in Fubu and Pelle-Pelle, popular hip-hop clothing brands.

And the trend in many communities is to honor thematic requests. For instance, in one town, a well-known cook was laid out in a replica of her kitchen. Viewers were treated to apple pie as they came in.

"But," said Criswell, "I didn't know if I'd be ready to meet this request."
To create the effect, Criswell rented a stage to elevate and isolate the "living room" and then surrounded Smith with his Steelers' cap and fan favorites. A DVD of great Steelers moments looped continuously on the screen. The sacred moans of Mahalia Jackson played softly over the speaker.
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Why is this too funny?
For some reason, this reminds me of the funeral I wanted to plan for myself [before passing] when I was younger and suffering from illusions of grandeur.

Everything had to be white - the casket, my suit, the flowers the candles. lol! I hadn't decided on all the songs but knew "Don't Cry For Me" by Cece Winans had to be sung. Personal testimonies and poems would be shared about how wonderful a person I was and how much I would be missed. lol! I was even going to write my own eulogy. hehehe! And I thought about creating a highlight reel of my greatest life accomplishments and taping a farewell message for everyone.

In my head, my funeral HAD to be perfect and no one would know what the perfect, fitting funeral would be for me except me. hehehe!! God I was on one back then.

You'll be happy to know that I've come to my senses. Things will be very simple. I will be cremated and there will be no funeral, wake or memorial.