*Family, friends and fans paid their final respects to legendary actor Cicely Tyson on Monday during a public viewing Monday at Harlem’s famed Abyssinian Baptist Church, where she was a member.
Hundreds of mourners in masks lined the New York City block outside of the church in the wintry weather. Many in the multigenerational crowd held photos of Tyson, who died on January 28 at the age of 96.
Some mourners said they had come from as far as Atlanta or Los Angeles. Shelah Moody, 55, said she flew all the way from San Francisco to pay her respects to the movie maven.
“No hotel,” Moody told the Blue Mountain Eagle, as the line inched by the lilac bunting that hung from the gates of the church. “I’m just turning around and going back to the airport right now.”
“She’s a legacy,” Moody said. “People like her don’t come around that often. To live to be 96, to have a child as a teenager, to start as a secretary and work your way up to be an Oscar-winning actress is amazing.”
Several local news crews reported live from outside the service. Watch below:
On Jan. 31, Abyssinian’s first Sunday service following Tyson’s death, Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III paid tribute to their treasured, longtime member in a special address.
Watch below:
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