Silence poured over Happy Valley on Wednesday as thousands lined the streets to say goodbye to Joe Paterno as the late head football coach made his last trip through campus and town.

People from across the country gathered as Paterno’s funeral procession made its way out of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center down Curtin Road to Beaver Stadium. It continued down Porter Road and College Avenue to an undisclosed location where Paterno was buried.

The procession began at about 4:15 p.m. Crowds started to fill the sidewalks at about 2:30 p.m., while the Paterno family, friends and other invited guests attended his private funeral mass inside of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.

Paterno died Sunday morning from complications from lung cancer treatments. He was 85 years old.

After the mass, the mourners filed into buses and cars. Some waved to the crowds as they traveled to the funeral.

Two police cars led the procession, followed by two black cars, which preceded a light blue hearse that carried Paterno’s casket.

Sue Paterno sat in the front seat on the driver’s side of a blue Penn State bus —- the seat Joe always sat in on his way to Beaver Stadium on football Saturdays.

Another bus followed, along with several more cars that were traveling to the burial. A police car followed the procession.

Bob Dvorsky, who drove one of the cars, said he never thought he would have the opportunity to help with the procession.

Dvorsky, a State College resident, works for the local Mercedes-Benz dealership. He said the company offered the Paterno family three cars to use to drive members of the mourners to the cemetery.

Dvorsky, Class of 1965, called it an “honor” and “privilege” to drive one of the cars in the procession.

Fellow driver Jay Harmon echoed Dvorsky’s words. He said he never imagined he would have the “honor” of helping with Paterno’s procession.

Though he never attended Penn State, Harmon said he has plenty of history with the university. He and his wife traveled from their Jacksonville, Fla., home to attend nearly every Penn State home football game for several years.

Harmon said he met Paterno a few times and described Penn State’s late football coach as “personable” and “genuine.”

But those unable to participate in the procession did everything they could to get a final glimpse of the coach.

Some stood on benches. Others climbed trees. Onlookers sat on top of the Allen Street Gates, stood in truck beds or on balconies. Some even sat atop CATA bus stops.

On College Avenue, people anxiously peaked into store windows to see live coverage of the procession before it reached their viewing spots.

Though many professors ended their classes early or canceled them, some students whose classes were still in session skipped them.

Ten faculty members from the English Department said they “shut down” the office to pay their respects to Paterno. The women said they all felt emotional when they found out about Paterno’s death.

Kim Keller, an administrative assistant in the department, said that to her and to many in her office, they thought of him as a donor more than a coach.

She called Paterno “the epitome of Penn State.”

When the procession finally came into view, those watching from the sidewalks had varied reactions.
Tears filled the eyes of some. Others threw roses behind the cars.

Some stood with signs that read, “We [heart] Joe Paterno.” Others took pictures of the scene, and many stood in silence as the line of cars passed.

Nancy Easterday said though she’s not a Penn State alumna, she lined up on Curtin Road to view the procession.

Easterday, of Northhampton, said she came because both of her children went to Penn State and because of her love of Paterno.

“I love him,” Easterday said, pursing her lips to keep from crying. “I wanted to pay tribute to a man who gave so much to the university.”

Easterday said the student reaction — lining the streets — was exactly what Paterno would have wanted.

Leah Davis stood on a fire hydrant in order to get a better view of the procession. Davis (sophomore-supply chain management) said she came to pay her respects to Paterno.

“Penn State is what it is today because of him,” Davis said.

Toward the end of the procession, a man driving one of the final cars pointed out the window to the onlookers on College Avenue and said “God bless all of you.”

Collegian staff writers Kristin Stoller and Jessica Tully contributed to this report.