CHICAGO — Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert has been praised at his funeral as a hero to his profession, a champion for the little guy and a visionary.
Ebert was remembered Monday at a downtown Chicago church. He died Thursday after a long battle with cancer.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Ebert’s former Chicago Sun-Times boss John Barron spoke at the funeral. Ebert’s widow, Chaz Ebert, also spoke, remembering her late husband as a “soldier for social justice.”
Jonathan Jackson read statements from his father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and filmmaker Spike Lee.
The service had funny and serious moments. Emanuel joked that Ebert saw bad movies so the rest of us wouldn’t have to. Ebert’s stepdaughter, Sonia Evans, remembered him as “a world-class human being.”