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Decades of memories mark funeral for Times' Hubert Mizell

 
Senior Minister Dan Johnson leads the audience in singing the hymn, "Because He Lives," at Trinity United Baptist Church in Gainesville, Florida, during the memorial service for veteran sports writer Hubert Mizell on Saturday, March 12, 2016.
Senior Minister Dan Johnson leads the audience in singing the hymn, "Because He Lives," at Trinity United Baptist Church in Gainesville, Florida, during the memorial service for veteran sports writer Hubert Mizell on Saturday, March 12, 2016.
Published March 13, 2016

GAINESVILLE — For nearly three decades, Hubert Mizell's words brought tales from around the sports world home to readers of the then-St. Petersburg Times.

On Saturday afternoon, amid photos, framed media credentials and a video montage of that storied career, friends and family paid tribute to Mizell, who died on March 3 at age 76 as a result of multiple health issues.

Working in an era when newspapers were the primary source of information and connection to the sports scene, Mizell covered myriad events around the globe and became associated with some of the biggest names.

That reach was evident by the large frame that included credentials from the 1972 Munich Olympics, the 1989 World Series that was interrupted by an earthquake, a Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns title fight, multiple Super Bowls and several NBA and NHL championships.

On another table were photographs of Mizell on the scene covering Muhammad Ali and Archie Manning, and photos signed by Bobby Knight and Billy Donovan.

Times chairman and CEO Paul Tash was among those who spoke at the service, telling the crowd of about 150 at Trinity United Methodist Church how Mizell had an incredible knack for making his readers feel they were with him on assignment.

Mizell's son, Kevin, spoke about getting to go along for the ride as well, specifically waiting with his mother, Marcy, for hours in the Tampa Stadium parking lot, eating Kentucky Fried Chicken, as Mizell would try to find the words to describe another Bucs loss in the early years of the franchise.

Mizell's tenure at the Times coincided with the Tampa Bay area's evolution into a major-league market, with the addition of the Bucs, Lightning and Rays, and he was there to chronicle it all, mixing his insight with humorous quips.

Survivors include Marcy, his wife of 51 years; Kevin; and a sister, Linda.