Justin Sayers

Louisville Courier Journal

Thousands around Louisville came out to the Muhammad Ali Center over the weekend to pay their respects to the late boxer and humanitarian -- even insects.

At the museum Sunday, officials needed to call a beekeeper after a swarm of bees congregated in a tree directly across from a mural with the famous Muhammad Ali quote, "Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee." Ali, who died late Friday in Arizona, used the quote to describe his boxing style.

Kelly Recker, of Fort Jennings, Ohio, said her and husband, Tony, arrived at the Muhammad Ali Center around 9:30 a.m. Sunday. She went to take a picture of the mural, which is across the walkway from the entrance to the museum and noticed the commotion going on behind it.

"My husband said, 'Oh my God, look at those bees!'" Recker said. "The limbs were just covered with them."

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Recker said the beekeeper was using two cardboard boxes and shaking the tree to trap the insects. Aside from the media, about 10 people crowded around to watch.

"Nobody was really nervous," she said. "Personally, I've never seen that many bees."

Recker and her husband were in town this weekend visiting the Bourbon Trail when they heard the news of Ali's death. Her oldest son called them to encourage them to stop at one of the vigils on their drive back through Louisville and pay their respects.

She cited Ali's importance as a reason to pay their respects. She said she isn't the biggest fan of him as a boxer because of the violence of the sport.

"I just know he's an icon, but I never would turn in and watch him," she said. "But everybody seems to know him, and I definitely fall into that category."

The Reckers didn't get to witness the final removal of the insects. But Kelly acknowledged that the irony of the situation was not lost.

"This is just crazy. Just seeing the mural right there," she said. "The tree is right beside the mural."​

Justin Sayers can be reached at 502-582-4252 or jsayers@gannett.com.

