Ohio’s chief justice mourned, laid to rest

April 11, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer was remembered Saturday as a man of civility as hundreds gathered for his funeral at a Columbus church.

The Rev. Richard Wing told about 700 gathered at First Community Church that the late justice knew the nation could be more than it was and grieved for its lack of civility.

The 70-year-old Moyer was the longest-serving sitting state Supreme Court justice when he died April 2 after being hospitalized for a gastrointestinal issue.

Among those at the funeral were all six of Moyer’s court colleagues as well as judges of all levels from across the state.

Also attending were Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, state Attorney General Richard Cordray and Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee.

The Rev. Mr. Wing called on those gathered to memorialize Moyer by recommitting to restoring civility to political discourse in Ohio and the U.S.

The service was marked by tears, roses, Bible readings and a musical selection highlighted by a violin solo of the Meditation from Thais.

Among those serving as pallbearers were Moyer’s son, Drew Damon Moyer, and former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Robert Bennett.

Moyer, the second-longest-serving chief justice in Ohio history, became chief justice in 1987. He had planned to retire from the all-Republican court after finishing his term at the end of the year.

He was laid to rest at Green Lawn cemetery in Columbus in a private burial after the funeral service.