It was the first time Shonta Miller had been to “The Cage” since her little brother’s funeral.
She smiled while standing in the center of the basketball court where Charles K. Wilson Jr.'s casket was uplifted almost a week prior. He was known by many as “Toot” or “Too Too.”
Miller reflected on the surprising end to her brother’s homegoing ceremony.
“I feel good,” she said while adjusting the sash around her neck with her brother’s photos. “I feel like he’s hanging out somewhere here.”
Wilson died on Oct. 4 after he was assaulted at a resto-lounge on East Ridge Road, according to the Irondequoit Police Department. On Friday, police arrested Nuri Simmons, 48, of Rochester, and charged him with second-degree murder. They said he is accused of stabbing Wilson.
“The amount of people who love him brings me a lot of peace,” Miller said. “That's what I have to hold on to.”
Phones and cameras weren't allowed at Wilson’s funeral service about a week after his death, but the procession captured what he meant to those who loved him.
The final ride started on North Street when the casket was loaded onto a horse-drawn carriage. The procession moved down Genesee Street and as it headed up Frost Avenue, someone suggested going to "The Cage,” which sits adjacent to a playground and is surrounded by metal fencing. It's located on Frost in the neighborhood where Wilson grew up.
“This solidifies our childhood,” Miller said. “He loves basketball. This is one of his favorite places to be at.”
Once the procession reached “The Cage,” Wilson’s casket was removed from the carriage and brought to center court by the pallbearers. Hundreds of people followed.
“I’ve never seen that done before in all my years,” said Thomas Gainey, funeral director of Angel Hills Funeral Chapel. “It was a shock that amazed me.”
Gainey prides himself on being a “traditional” funeral director, but he said his duty is to the family and whatever brings them closure.
“You entrust your loved one to me. You didn't give your loved one to me,” Gainey said. “A person can do whatever they want with their loved one.”
Gainey said Wilson’s send-off has intrigued people, and they’ve been inquiring about Angel Hills. Both Miller and Gainey agree that Wilson would have been proud of his final ride.
“He deserved it,” Miller said. “He deserved everything we gave him in life and in death.”
