INDIANAPOLIS — By the hundreds, mourners filled the pews at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church on Indianapolis’ northside to attend a memorial service for Colts Owner Jim Irsay, who died in his sleep last month.
Irsay was 65.
Prior to the noon service, friends and family streamed into the church.
Ex-Colts Adam Vinatieri and Pat McAfee were there, as was blues rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his band.
Former Colts coach Bruce Arians was in attendance, as were politicians who negotiated with Irsay to provide for and keep his Colts in Indianapolis: Mayor Joe Hogsett, former Mayor Greg Ballard, Congressman Andre Carson, and former governors Eric Holcomb and Mitch Daniels.
Business associates from the community included Irsay’s attorney Jim Voyles and representatives from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the NFL.
During the two-hour service, NFL Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, introduced at his induction ceremony by Irsay, spoke, as did Irsay’s daughters and team executive Pete Ward who was an intern by Jim’s side when Robert Irsay sent word to his staff to pack up in March of 1984 the Baltimore Colts were moving to Indianapolis.
Tony Dungy, the only coach to deliver a Super Bowl trophy to Irsay, read a selection from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.”
Irsay’s musical brother from downstate, John Mellencamp, played “Pink Houses” and “Longest Days.”
Jim’s grandchildren served as pallbearers and officiated over a candle lighting intended as a “Message from Jim in Heaven.”
The front of the funeral program featured a photograph of Irsay in his trademark blue-checkered suit jacket flashing a characteristic peace sign.
The back recounted the words from Bob Dylan’s song, “Forever Young.”
Shortly before 2 p.m., the crowd filtered out, the current team leaving by the back on chartered buses, a Colts RV, with a “JI” logo marking the boss’ passing, out front leading a caravan of black transport vans to accompany the casket for internment.
Inside the program, the Irsay family asked attendees to remember Jim with a contribution to “Kicking the Stigma”, a campaign to raise awareness of mental health challenges, a charity Irsay donated $31 million of his own money to.
Also in attendance representing the sporting world were NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Penske Entertainment President & CEO Mark Miles and Indiana Pacers Minority Owner Steve Simon.
NFL owners in attendance included Bob Kraft of the New England Patriots, George McCaskey of the Chicago Bears, Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Steve Bisciotti of the Baltimore Ravens, Terry Pegula of the Buffalo Bills, Michael Bidwell of the Arizona Cardinals, Woody Johnson of the New York Jets, Jimmy and Dee Haslam of the Cleveland Browns and John Mara of the New York Giants.
Colts alumni included former coaches Chuck Pagano, Frank Reich and Jim Caldwell as well as ex-players Marvin Harrison Jr., Dwight Freeney, Tarik Glenn, Dallas Clark, Anthony Castanzo, Ken Dilger and Reggie Wayne.
Guitarist Shepherd sat in with members of Irsay’s band, including Kenny Aronoff on drums, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills on bass and Mike Wanchic of Mellencamp’s band on guitar.
The Colts are planning an announcement of a public memorial service to be held sometime this summer.