Yanks' Lidle remembered by loved ones

COVINA, Calif. — Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was remembered as "a loving husband and an awesome father" Tuesday at a memorial attended by family, friends and teammates of the avid yet inexperienced pilot who was killed during an aerial tour of New York City.

As the 45-minute outdoor service began, three planes similar to the one Lidle owned appeared over the roof of the Mausoleum of Christian Heritage and flew over the crowd before disappearing into dark gray clouds. The planes later made two more passes.

Among those at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Lidle's hometown were Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and a contingent of Yankees: All-Star Derek Jeter, former high school teammate Jason Giambi, Jaret Wright, manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman. Also there were Oakland pitcher Barry Zito, Philadelphia teammates Pat Burrell and Chase Utley and former Yankees pitcher Aaron Small.

None connected to baseball spoke at the service, leaving Lidle's family and friends to recall his fun-loving nature.

"I don't think much of it was about the baseball player," Jackson said afterward. "The nice thing was the way his family and friends spoke of him." It makes you reflect and appreciate life. He touched a lot of lives."

Jeter added: "It's rough. I feel for the family. I played with him a short time, but it didn't take long to see what kind of person he was."

The 34-year-old Lidle and his flight instructor, Tyler Stanger, were killed last Wednesday when the pitcher's small plane crashed into a Manhattan high-rise.

Supported by another woman, Lidle's wife, Melanie, walked to the gray casket adorned with a huge spray of white roses and daisies. She paused, then leaned heavily on the casket, shaking with sobs.

Mourners seated in rows of white chairs on the sprawling lawn that sloped down toward a busy freeway below watched, some in obvious anguish. Men wiped away tears from behind dark glasses, and knots of family shared long embraces near Lidle's casket.

"Cory would have been so amazed at all the people here who admired him," said Brandy Peters, Melanie's sister. "He was a loving husband and an awesome father."

Peters recalled the early days of her sister's nearly 10-year marriage to Lidle, when the couple "begged me to bring 99-cent Jack in the Box tacos home from my high school job at Blockbuster."

"His personality never changed with his increase in salary," she said.