MACON, Ga. (AP) - A Georgia church will hold a memorial ceremony for a homeless man who never begged.
Macon residents tell The Telegraph that Arthur Panish, 75, lived along the banks of the Ocmulgee River and rummaged through trash for food but gruffly rebuffed offers of help.
“I think everybody tried to help him at one time,” said Stephanie Wohl, administrative assistant at Highland Hills Baptist Church, where Saturday’s ceremony was scheduled.
Neighborhood residents didn’t know his name or age until after he was fatally hit by a car March 9 while crossing an interstate on-ramp. He died two days later at a hospital. Fingerprints revealed his identity and that he had a twin sister named Geraldine Panish in New York City.
Highland Hills Pastor Jake Hall said he heard many people talk about Panish after his death.
Many wondered how he wound up on the streets, the newspaper said.
“Such a mystery, but we look forward to a moment of peace around his life,” Hall said.
Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones set up a cremation fund and sought a court order to do so.
An obituary at the webpage for Hart’s Mortuary and Crematory said Panish taught Spanish at Pine Bush High School north of New York City, delighting students by playing Latin-American rock-and-roll. He also led the classes in debates in Spanish, choosing topics “about current issues, such as ’long hair for boys.’”
“He loved to travel and hitched-hiked some 30,000 miles, meeting new people and sharing his love of music. Mr. Panish believed that adults once played as children, and they should continue to play as they grew older,” the obituary said.
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Information from: The Telegraph, http://www.macontelegraph.com
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