Bernie Mac Funeral Held at House of Hope Church

In the last few days since the death of comedian and actor Bernie Mac the arrangements for his funeral were not made public until it was reported by People Magazine that the service was to be held at the 10,000 seat House of Hope Church in Chicago. The public memorial service for Bernie Mac will be held on Saturday around noon at the House of Hope Church, which is located at 752 E. 114th St. on the South Side of Chicago, in the neighborhood where Mac was born and raised.

The funeral is expected to attract thousands of fans and well wishers along with Mac's former co-stars like George Clooney, Cedric 'The Entertainer', D.L. Hughley and others who were in films and television specials with Mac over the years are expected to be in attendance. There's also a picketing rally expected to take place by a church who claims that Mac made some offensive comments about sin and fornication. Bernie Mac's family also request that donations are to made out to the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, 40 E. Ninth St., Suite 601, Chicago IL 60605. Donations amounts of $1-1999 are asked to be sent to that address and any donations $2000 or more are asked to forward them to The Northern Trust Company 201 E Huron Street Chicago, IL 60611 and the phone number if donors have questions are to call 312.557.6200.

Countless other stars that haven't been mentioned are expected to attend Mac's funeral this weekend and this is supposed to be a huge turnout and this is going to be bigger than the funeral of Chicago's late mayor Harold Washington. This will be a memorable moment for South Siders because it's in their neck of the woods and it's an honorable way to pay homage to one of the most prolific comedians that ever lived and who came from poverty to rise high as an A-list star.His life was full of success and failure and those who will be among the invited to pay their respects will have a chance to relook back on the things they remember about Bernie both at the personal and professional levels.

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Rhonda McCullough is Bernie Mac’s Wife

Meet Rhonda McCullough, the wife of Bernie Mac.Our hearts go out to Rhonda and her daughter Je’Niece McCullough as they struggle with the loss of her husband. Bernie passed away from complications of pneumonia at the early age of 50. She had expected him to make a full recovery. The picture above is his TV wife Kellita Smith.

As a biography, Rhonda McCullough’s celebrity acting credits are contained in one television appearance in which she played herself on his show. The TV wife took in his sister’s three children on a famous episode, but do not make the common mistake of confusing Rhonda with actress Kellita Smith (see below).

She became Bernie Mac’s wife in 1977, so the couple were married for 31 years. She has one daughter named Je’Niece, born in 1978. Je’Niece McCullough graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling. She has been married for three years and has one daughter, Jasmine. She was married in 2005 and gave Rhonda McCullough her only granddaughter named Jasmine.

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Bernie Mac dead at 50

After a brief battle with pneumonia at a Chicago hospital, Bernie Mac died this morning, according to family members. Bernie Mac, the 50-year old raucous comedian, died this morning from complications due to pneumonia. Bernie Mac had suffered from sarcoidosis, which is an inflammatory lung disease. The condition reportedly went into remission in 2005. There are no other details available at this time, and his publicist asked that the family’s privacy be respected.

Bernie Mac was born in Chicago, IL on October 5, 1957. His full name was Bernard Jeffrey McCollough. Because of his large family and his experiences growing up in Chicago’s South Side, Mac had a wealth of material for his humor. He performed his first standup routine when he was only 8 years old - performing for the church congregation by impersonating his grandparents at the dinner table.

It was tragedy that made Bernie Mac appreciate the healing power of laughter - he lost his mother and both brother early in life. He worked odd jobs to make enough money to live while working on the side to develop his comedy. He was able to establish his own weekly variety show at Chicago’s Regal Theater and joined the comedy club circuit in 1977.

Bernie Mac gained national attention for his comedy with Spike Lee’s Original Kings of Comedy. He was known for edgy comedy that, at first, would seem a bad fit fo television. However when he was able to create a sitcom on his own terms, he came up with the Bernie Mac show in 2001. He based the show on family experiences, and the show had a strong debut on Fox. It ran through 2006 and starred Bernie Mac as the father of three adopted kids. The show won an Emmy and a Peabody award. Movie Credits include Bad Santa, and Oceans Eleven.

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Is Bernie Mac Dead or He Is in Critical Condition?

No. As of One hour ago, Bernie Mac was still alive. According to the latest news report. Bernie Mac is in a hospital, in Chicago with pneumonia.
Comedian Bernie Mac was in "very, very critical" condition late Saturday at a Chicago hospital, according to a Chicago Sun-Times source who knows the comedian's family.His publicist said the pneumonia is unrelated to Bernie Mac's sarcoidosis, a chronic disease that can inflame tissue, particularly in the lungs.

Mac's sarcoidosis has been in remission since 2005. His wife, Rhonda McCullough, has been with him at the hospital. Get well, Bernie.Smith said the pneumonia isn't related to an inflammatory lung disease that Mac also has. That condition, according to the AP, has been in remission since 2005.Bernie Mac, a comedian, last became famous for his off-color jokes during a big fundraiser dinner in Chicago. This function was for Barack Obama’s Democratic fundraiser.

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