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About 1,500 pay their final respects to circus performer Gunther Gebel-Williams.
By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 25, 2001
VENICE, Fla. -- The legacy of Gunther Gebel-Williams was passed on to his grandsons Tuesday during an emotional memorial service that recalled his genius as a circus performer and his kindness outside the ring.
The purple silk cape that Gebel-Williams wore while commanding a menagerie of beasts was presented to his teenage grandson, Lorenzo Del Moral, before 1,500 family, friends and fans at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, just a mile from where Gebel-Williams lived when not touring.
Gebel-Williams, whose blond hair and flashy costumes graced the program covers of every Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus show he worked, was celebrated for changing the face of the American circus.
His graceful and exciting performances captured the hearts and minds of the American public. Tuesday, they came out to pay their respects.
"It was the thing to do," said Lee Drake, 80, who attended the service with his wife, Frieda, 82. "He made such an impact, his tradition will go on."
Gebel-Williams, who died last week of cancer at age 66, set the standard for the industry, taming lions, tigers and pumas without whips or chains. He gained so much trust that a tiger named Kenny would wrap himself lazily around Gebel-Williams' neck during performances.
During the service, two bronze tiger statues were posted on either side of his casket. Fittingly, they lounged in relaxed poses that only Gebel-Williams could elicit.
Among the impressive floral arrangements -- some shaped like lions, tigers and elephants -- was one in the shape of a circus wagon wheel with a symbolic missing spoke.
Gebel-Williams considered circus employees his family and was respected by everyone, from sweeper to ringmaster. Many admired him more for his persona behind the curtain. He was remembered as generous and kind, modest and a hard worker. Cleaning cages and sweeping parking lots were not beneath him.
Kurt Szymaski, also known as "monkey man" for his performances in a monkey costume, hobbled with a cane into the church.
At 73, and barely 5 feet tall, Szymaski recalled the man who could accomplish anything.
"He was practicing day and night," Szymaski said. "He was Superman."
Eulogies were delivered by Kenneth Feld, chairman of the company that owns Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Dr. Richard Houck, a longtime veterinarian who cared for Gebel-Williams' animals.
As protesters from animal rights groups chanted outside the church, away from earshot, Houck tearfully shared stories of Gebel-Williams' love for his charges.
"His animals always came first," Houck said. "He was never happier than when he was at the circus."
Some of Gebel-Williams' most prized possessions were presented to friends and family. His wife, two adult children and grandsons sat somberly near his coffin.
A short documentary of Gebel-Williams' life ended with a long, standing ovation.
It was a touching moment for a man who was larger than his 5-foot-7 frame.
"The first time I saw him backstage, my first impression was 'he's not as tall as I thought,' " said Steve Smith, a former clown who once served as the dean of the circus' clown college. "Then I saw him perform in the ring and I thought, 'That's the biggest man I have ever seen.' "
His magical performances jumped from the ring into the hearts of children. Kristen Ridley, 31, remembers when she was 5, and Gebel-Williams chose her to ride an elephant during a show in Ohio.
"Ever since then, that's what the circus has meant to me," said Ridley, who lives in Sarasota and came to bid goodbye. "We only went when Gunther was there."
And Gebel-Williams was there, on schedule, every day. In three decades, he never missed a show, playing to more than 200-million people in his career.
When he injured his foot in a cart accident, he insisted on performing that night, despite an injury so severe doctors thought that they might have to amputate.
"That night, he did that act from a chair, his foot propped up, a microphone in hand," Feld recalled during his eulogy. "The show went on."
Gebel-Williams was buried in Venice after the memorial service Tuesday.