Students, faculty and staff at Wayne State University summon the community to join their annual spring event, the Funeral for Ol' Man Winter, on Thursday, April 6.

The group gathers at 12:30 p.m. at the south end of the Student Center Building on main campus.

Radio and television personality Dwayne X. Riley and student Miss Spring plan to lead music Professor Matt Michaels and his Dixieland band musicians in a New-Orleans-style funeral procession.

Riley is the "happy curmudgeon" on "Something to Think About" on CKWW 580 AM Memories in Windsor and former host of "Riley's World" on WDIV TV 4.

WSU pallbearers and mourners will accompany the lifeless Winter in his new casket as the cortege moves across campus to the Circa 1890 Saloon. The old casket mysteriously disappeared for the 1997 funeral.

An irreverent memorial service is on Riley's agenda, but the musicians will perform to add solemnity to the occasion. Miss Spring will add her talents and flowers to bring the hope of an early spring to all.

After Riley's eulogy casts Winter down into the bowels of Hell, Steve Xantheas, owner of the Circa, will invite the mourners in for lunch. He will donate the day's proceeds to the university as he has done for the past 15 years.

The procession and service are free. For more information call the music department at (313 ) 577-1795.


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History of the Funeral of Ol' Man Winter

For nearly a quarter of a century Steve Xantheas and his brother, George Blond, has been contributing a day's receipts from the operation of their restaurant to Wayne State University.

First the Campus Restaurant and then the Circa 1890 Saloon were operated as popular campus dining and gathering places.

In the early 1980s Bob MacDonald of the university's public relations department hit upon a plan to publicize the this contribution. A scan of the calendar revealed that one of the most joyful days of spring was being totally overlooked.

The day which ended the gut-wrenching process that had inspired nervous sweats and chewed up fingernails all year was unrecognized. There was not observance of the day after income tax deadline. The first day of spring also was misplaced. Michigan has plenty of snow, ice and freezing weather after the vernal equinox, on or about March 21.

It, therefore, was decided that a funeral for winter should be held the first workday after April 15. This was much more in keeping with the actual arrival of spring and certainly a day for exultation. However, the date now accommodates class schedules for the students' convenience.

The New Orleans-style funeral, which includes a procession of jazz musicians playing Dixieland, seemed the appropriate format. This brought in the cooperation of Dennis Tini and other faculty members and students in the WSU Jazz Program.

Students not only agreed to provide the music, they also found a casket and a skeleton with a wintry cast. A minister without portfolio or other credentials agreed to perform the ceremony and, in the absence of that great tax protester Lady Godiva, a young lady was found to bring the breath of spring to the campus.

Those attending the ceremony brought old tax forms to throw into the coffin and all enjoyed the fun event. The first year's ceremony has been repeated annually and proprietor Xantheas and the university receive calls from around the nation asking about the funeral.

Each year, of course, he contributes the proceeds from the day to Wayne State in a much-appreciated donation.