On such a reverent occasion as his memorial service, Skip Caray would have gotten a kick out of a little irreverence shown by his friends during Monday's celebration of his life.

In an ornate gothic cathedral in Buckhead, as part of a full Catholic mass, Caray's closest friends and colleagues remembered the Braves broadcaster with remarks that were true to Caray's style -- honest and funny.

When his broadcast partner Pete Van Wieren got to the punch line of a story about how he flubbed an announcement at his first event with Skip 33 years ago, he quoted Skip as telling him "You're doing a hell of a job so far."

And then there was former Atlanta Flames broadcaster Jiggs McDonald, who told the story of Skip playing along with a joke on the air about bringing professional fishing to Atlanta because it would draw professional "hookers" from all over the world.

Even the monsignor of the Cathedral of Christ the King, in his Irish accent, compared Caray's spiritual journey home to a play at the plate.

"Here comes the slide," Msgr. Tom Kenny said in his homily. "Skip's safe. Listen to the crowd of angels and saints. They're going berserk."

The front of the program for Monday's memorial service read "the Funeral of Harry Christopher Caray Jr." but the service was all "Skip."

His old friend and former broadcast partner, Ernie Johnson Sr., told of Skip's likes and dislikes. His likes? "A cocktail at dinner, a cocktail at dinner and a cocktail at dinner," Johnson said.

McDonald, who was also the best man in Caray's wedding, described listening to Caray call a hockey game, filling in for McDonald, and asking him afterward where he came up with the names he used for visiting players. Caray told him he borrowed names from his old University of Missouri classmates.

Caray's doctor and good friend Charlie Wickliffe told of how Caray went from near death in Piedmont Hospital last fall to telling jokes at his bedside.

"He went from a coma to a joke," Wickliffe said. "It was amazing."

Wickliffe was also frank, describing how Caray's health deteriorated over the last 15 years, starting with diabetes and an irregular heartbeat to liver and kidney failure.

"What happened is that Skip's great, generous and wonderful heart just gave out," he said.

Van Wieren got a chuckle when he pointed out there were more people at Monday's 4 p.m. service than had been at many of of the Braves games he and Caray called in the 1970s.

"He preached tell the truth and have some fun, and that's what he did," Van Wieren said. "By my count, we worked in the neighborhood of 5,000 Braves games together, and it never got old. Every day was a new adventure."

The service lasted one hour and 40 minutes. The sanctuary was full 20 minutes before the service was scheduled to start.

Braves front office members, players, coaches and staff filled up 10 pews. Not far behind sat former players who'd been a part of some of Caray's favorite calls: Otis Nixon, Rick Camp, Charlie Leibrandt, Javy Lopez, and Ron Gant.

Braves players Chipper Jones, Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann joined Skip's sons Chip and Josh Caray as pall bearers.

John Smoltz represented the Braves as the last of six speakers to make remarks. He paid tribute to a man who used to kid him about his lack of hitting.

"I'm batting higher than I ever did in my life," Smoltz said. "I'm batting sixth."

Smoltz got the laugh of the day when he told the story about what Skip used to say about Ryan Klesko after the Braves moved him from first base to left field.

"Ryan is running the right routes, we just can't get the ball to him," Smoltz said.

Smoltz spoke of Skip's kindness in friendship, shared laughs and in his family legacy in the broadcast industry.

"He got to do something even his dad didn't get to do," Smoltz said of Skip's father Harry Caray. "He got to share in a championship."

Both Smoltz and Braves president John Schuerholz referred to the 1995 World Series championship and to Caray's famous call in the 1992 National League Championship.

They borrowed from Skip's famous last words in his call as Sid Bream slid home: "I'll always remember 'Braves win! Braves win! Braves win!" Smoltz said.