NEWARK, N.J. — Whitney Houston’s funeral will be held Saturday in the church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child.
The owner of Whigham Funeral Home said Tuesday that the funeral will be held at noon at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, which seats up to 1,500 people.
Gospel singer Marvin Winans, a Grammy Award winner and longtime family friend, has been chosen to give the eulogy, his son said.
Houston’s family said no public memorial service is planned. Officials had discussed the possibility of holding a memorial at the nearby Prudential Center arena, which can seat about 18,000 people, but the family ruled that out.
Funeral home owner Carolyn Whigham said the church service will be by invitation only, reflecting the family’s decision to keep the memorial more personal.
“They have shared her for 30-some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell,” she said.
Houston, 48, was found dead Saturday in the bathtub of a hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. It could be weeks, however, before the coroner’s office completes toxicology tests to establish the cause of her death.
Double Take
