Chadwick Boseman’s funeral service to be held in hometown Anderson, SC

ANDERSON, S.C. — Actor Chadwick Boseman, who died Aug. 28 after a private, 4-year battle with colon cancer, will be laid to rest in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina.

Best known for his portrayal of King T’Challa in Marvel’s “Black Panther,” Boseman also depicted iconic Black figures in history, such as Jackie Robinson in “42,” James Brown in “Get On Up” and Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall.”

Boseman’s private funeral arrangements will be overseen by the Marcus D. Brown Funeral Home in Anderson.

“It’s an honor to make arrangements with this family,” Marcus Brown told WYFF-TV. “I’ve known them for many years, so it’s an honor but it humbles me as well.”

Brown described Boseman’s family as “very humble through the years.”

“They’re humble and not necessarily private-private but normal people,” he told WYFF-TV.

Boseman attended T.L. Hanna High School before attending Howard University in Washington, D.C. He graduated college in 2000 with a bachelor of fine arts in directing. While in school, “The Cosby Show” actress Phylicia Rashad was one of his professors.

He went on to appear in episodes of “All My Children,” “Law & Order,” “CSI: NY” and “ER,” among other shows, before hitting the big screen.

Brown said Boseman gave back to his Anderson community throughout his successful career.

A special memorial service was held Thursday in Anderson at the Anderson Sports & Entertainment Complex. The event, which was free and open to the public, featured speakers including the daughter of James Brown, Deanna Brown-Thomas, and Boseman’s pastor, Samuel Neely.

During the service, Brown-Thomas called Boseman “the epitome of black excellence” and recounted a story in which Boseman visited her family in Augusta, Georgia, ahead of his filming of her father’s biopic.

The mayor of Anderson, Terence Roberts, and Brown-Thomas both described Boseman as humble.

“He wasn’t Hollywood, and that’s what I loved about him,” Brown-Thomas said.

Neely, who baptized Boseman when he was a child, said the actor was like a son to him.

A showing of “Black Panther” followed the service. Many young attendees dressed up as the comic character, according to The Associated Press.

For Boseman’s official, private funeral, his family is asking for donations to the Chadwick Boseman Foundation in lieu of flowers, WYFF-TV reported. More details are forthcoming.

Boseman is survived by his wife, Simone, his parents and his two brothers. He did not have any children.

Cox Media Group