LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Muhammad Ali's memory was honored on Friday, which marked six years since he died.
The public was invited to his grave at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville's Highlands neighborhood to pay their respects.
Volunteers with the Ali Center and Cave Hill handed roses out to visitors to place at at his grave or take home as a keepsake. WDRB Photojournalist Neil Johnson talked to people paying their respects one rose at a time.
A steady stream of people followed the path to Ali's headstone, which honors his faith by facing Mecca. It's also on a hillside, which gets the morning sunrise. The black granite headstone simply says "Ali" with a quote from the legendary boxer that reads, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room in heaven."
"We're from Washington State, and this feels really important," said Rebecca Townsen, who apologized, as her voice choked with emotion. "He was such an important truth-teller and stood up courageously for himself and others. He was really beautiful."
Ali died on June 3, 2016 and was buried in Louisville after a funeral and ceremony that attracted celebrities, athletes and political figures to his hometown. Thousands lined the streets of Louisville to say goodbye, as a hearse drove past landmarks. Many in the crowd threw flowers on to the hood of the vehicle, as it made its way to his final resting place.
People around the world remember the Louisville native for his time in the ring, his playful nature and his famous quote "float like a butterfly sting like a bee!" But Ali's values still stir strong emotion with many who remember his opposition to the Vietnam War.
"I believe I was a freshman in college. I was of draft age, and here's this guy who was one of the most famous people in the world saying 'hell, no, I'm not going.' It was huge," said Peter Bonow, who paid his respects on Friday. "It was a really tough time in our country, and it was nice to have somebody in that spot that we could look up to and say 'we're with ya.' Tough times back then."
Bonow was emotional about being at Ali's graveside. "Teary eyed, ya know. This is the guy."
Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali stands over fallen challenger Sonny Liston, shouting and gesturing shortly after dropping Liston with a short hard right to the jaw on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine. The bout lasted only one minute into the first round. Ali is the only man ever to win the world heavyweight boxing championship three times. He also won a gold medal in the light-heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome as a member of the U.S. Olympic boxing team. In 1964 he dropped the name Cassius Clay and adopted the Muslim name Muhammad Ali. (AP Photo/John Rooney)
- John Rooney
Friends and family gathered near Muhammad Ali's grave for a ceremony at Cave Hill Cemetery five years after his death. His headstone is engraved with one of his most famous quotes, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room in heaven." June 3, 2021
FILE - Joe Frazier hits Muhammad Ali with a left during the 15th round of their heavyweight title fight at New York's Madison Square Garden, in this March 8, 1971, file photo. Frazier was a relentless puncher filled with rage toward a fighter who couldn’t help but belittle him.(AP Photo/File)
FILE - Joe Frazier stands over Muhammad Ali in the 15th round of their boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York, in this March 8, 1971, file photo. They fought for 15 rounds, furiously at times, with Frazier moving forward in a crouch throwing big left hooks while Ali shot out fast jabs and right hands to counter him coming in.(AP Photo/File)
FILE - In this Aug. 23, 1973, file photo, boxer Muhammad Ali chops at a tree with an axe at his training camp in Deer Lake, Pa., in preparation for his return match against Ken Norton. The rustic Pennsylvania training camp where Ali prepared for some of his most famous fights has undergone an elaborate restoration. The camp in Deer Lake opened to the public Saturday, June 1, 2019 as a shrine to his life and career.(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)
IMAGES | Remembering boxing legend Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali after a boxing match. (Photo by Michael Gaffney)
Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali stands over fallen challenger Sonny Liston, shouting and gesturing shortly after dropping Liston with a short hard right to the jaw on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine. The bout lasted only one minute into the first round. Ali is the only man ever to win the world heavyweight boxing championship three times. He also won a gold medal in the light-heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome as a member of the U.S. Olympic boxing team. In 1964 he dropped the name Cassius Clay and adopted the Muslim name Muhammad Ali. (AP Photo/John Rooney)
- John Rooney
Muhammad Ali embraces children. (Photo by Michael Gaffney)
Muhammad Ali speaks with people. (Photo by Michael Gaffney)
Muhammad Ali
Louisville native Cassius Clay, later to be named Muhammad Ali, stands with other medalists at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
- File photo
Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, with Olympic teammates in Rome in 1960.
- File photo
Friends and family gathered near Muhammad Ali's grave for a ceremony at Cave Hill Cemetery five years after his death. His headstone is engraved with one of his most famous quotes, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room in heaven." June 3, 2021
Friends and family put flowers on Muhammad Ali's grave after a ceremony at Cave Hill Cemetery five years after his death. June 3, 2021
Friends and family put flowers on Muhammad Ali's grave after a ceremony at Cave Hill Cemetery five years after his death. June 3, 2021
Rahman Ali couldn't contain his emotions at the ceremony at Cave Hill Cemetery honoring his brother, Muhammad Ali, five years after his death. June 3, 2021
FILE - Boxer Muhammad Ali looks up towards Joe Frazier, center, during a title fight at Madison Square Garden in New York, in this March 8, 1971, file photo. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - Joe Frazier hits Muhammad Ali with a left during the 15th round of their heavyweight title fight at New York's Madison Square Garden, in this March 8, 1971, file photo. Frazier was a relentless puncher filled with rage toward a fighter who couldn’t help but belittle him.(AP Photo/File)
FILE - Joe Frazier stands over Muhammad Ali in the 15th round of their boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York, in this March 8, 1971, file photo. They fought for 15 rounds, furiously at times, with Frazier moving forward in a crouch throwing big left hooks while Ali shot out fast jabs and right hands to counter him coming in.(AP Photo/File)
FILE - In this Aug. 23, 1973, file photo, boxer Muhammad Ali chops at a tree with an axe at his training camp in Deer Lake, Pa., in preparation for his return match against Ken Norton. The rustic Pennsylvania training camp where Ali prepared for some of his most famous fights has undergone an elaborate restoration. The camp in Deer Lake opened to the public Saturday, June 1, 2019 as a shrine to his life and career.(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)
Pictured: The Muhammad Ali Center at 144 N. 6th Street in downtown Louisville. (WDRB file photo)
Ali's core values and service to others still influences many fans of The Greatest, including his grand nephew Khali Williams, who stopped to place a rose at the headstone.
"The best role model you could ever ask for. He's my best friend. He's with me right now," said Williams.
"Everyone shares about Muhammad Ali that he gave great speeches -- that he was an intense person both in the ring and outside, but gentle," Williams explained. "And I think having that duality speaks to what's going on in the world today, and I think it's a blessing to be able to celebrate it because that's what sort of guides my life in terms of his principles and his teachings to own your narrative and not just be defined by what you do, but how you do it."
The Muhammad Ali Festival began on Friday and runs through next week. On Saturday, The Ali Center will host a trolley tour around significant sites in Louisville including Ali's childhood home and Central High School, where he attended classes. To find out more about the festival, click here.
The Louisville Bats will also host an Ali community night on June 7 at 7 p.m. at Slugger Field.
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