By Cliff Radel
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Reds players (from left) McKay Christensen, Jason LaRue, Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin observe a moment of silence Wednesday for Marge Schott before the start of an intrasquad game in Sarasota, Fla. The Associated Press/AL BEHRMAN

Twelve red roses graced the spot near the back pew where Marge Schott worshiped every Sunday at All Saints Catholic Church in Kenwood.

Tied to one stem, a card read: "Marge - God bless you, honey."

This was just one of many signs of remembrance seen and heard Wednesday around Cincinnati and beyond for Schott, the woman who called everyone "Honey."

The colorful and controversial former chief executive of the Reds, local philanthropist and fan favorite died Tuesday. She was 75.

Red roses were Schott's favorite. They were the color of her beloved hometown team.

At least one Cincinnati Red will be on hand at the Montgomery Road church where services for Schott will be held Saturday. Shortstop Barry Larkin, a graduate of Moeller High School, whose campus is next to All Saints, will represent the team.

"I thought someone from the team should go," Larkin said. He has a good reason.

MARGE SCHOTT: 1928-2004

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Larkin owns a World Series ring earned during Schott's nearly 15-year reign over the Reds. She was in charge when the team won its most recent World Championship in 1990.

The Reds observed a moment of silence before Wednesday's intrasquad game in Florida. The flag at the team's spring training stadium in Sarasota flies at half staff.

The ballclub plans to pay tribute to Schott on Opening Day in Cincinnati. Details are not complete for the April 5 ceremony.

Among the red roses at All Saints on Saturday will be an arrangement of white flowers with a New York Yankee insignia. A spokesman for owner George Steinbrenner called the Enquirer Wednesday. The Yankees' boss was in search of news about funeral arrangements and a florist. Steinbrenner plans to send flowers in lieu of attending the funeral.

Visitation for Schott will be 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the church's Marge Schott Parish Center. The center is one of a number of local structures - including the elephant house at the Cincinnati Zoo and a classroom building at St. Ursula Academy - paid for by Schott's benevolence and bearing her name.

Mass of Christian burial begins at 1 p.m. in All Saints church. Burial follows the Mass at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Montgomery.

The public is invited to attend the church ceremonies and to take the 3.4-mile drive north on Montgomery Road to the cemetery.

Vickie Fisher, a family service counselor at the cemetery, wore a suit dominated by Reds red Wednesday.

"This is not regular cemetery attire," she allowed. But she noted that she wore a less-than-somber color in Schott's memory, her accomplishments and her charitable endeavors.

Schott will be buried in section one, plot 49. That's the Schott family plot.

She will rest next to her husband, Charles, who died in 1968 at age 42.

After her husband's death, Schott plunged into his businesses. But she achieved her greatest fame on her own with the Reds.

Schott's death came one month and three days before Opening Day.

"Marge loved Opening Day and the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade," said Neil Luken, chairperson for the annual parade's upcoming 85th edition.

"The whole parade will be in her honor," he said. "She deserves it.

"When she ran the Reds," Luken said, "if we needed anything from the team for the parade, all we had to do was make a call to her."

Schott officially started the parade for decades.

"She got a big kick out of kicking off the parade by sounding the horn of the fire trucks," said co-chair Mike Silverglade.

Specific plans to honor Schott are still being fine-tuned for the April 5 parade.

"We are thinking about a banner leading off the parade," Luken said. "It would have the words, 'Marge, thanks for the memories.' "

Parade marshals will wear T-shirts with her name on the sleeve.

Schott never served as the parade's grand marshal.

She was asked, but declined.

She always told Luken:

"That's not for me, honey."

E-mail: cradel@enquirer.com