Updated: Legendary Jazz Drummer Max Roach to be Remembered at Riverside Church Public Viewing and Funeral on Friday

A public viewing will be held at Riverside Church for jazz great Max Roach, who died from complications of dementia/Alzheimer's Disease at 12:45 a.m. Thursday in New York at the age of 83. His daughters Maxine and Dara were at his bedside, according to family spokesperson, Terrie M. Williams.

Roach's public viewing will be held on Friday, August 24 at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive in Manhattan, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. with a public funeral service from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The legendary drummer will subsequently be buried in a private ceremony at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.

Born on January 10, 1924 in Newland, North Carolina, Roach is survived by his five children: Daryl Keith Roach, Maxine Roach, Raoul Roach, Ayo Roach and Dara Roach.

The family issued the following statement: "We are deeply saddened by our beloved father's passing. We wish to convey our sincere thanks and appreciation for all the blessings and condolences we have received at this time. As his family we are fortunate to have been a part of his life and we will continue to share his legacy as a musician, educator and social activist with the world."

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601-7633, http://www.alz.org or Veritas Therapeutic Community, Inc. (which provides substance abuse services), 912 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025, 212-865-9182, ext. 205, http://www.veritas-inc.org, where Roach was a Veritas Foundation trustee and founder.