By Jaime Aron
Associated Press
Friday, February 18, 2000; Page D01 DALLAS, Feb. 17—A gray fedora rested on the altar. An open Bible sat inches away. A portrait of a serious-looking Tom Landry stared at pews filled with Pro Football Hall of Famers and Super Bowl champions.

Those simple images of class, faith and success reflected the words spoken today at a memorial service in honor of the former Dallas Cowboys coach.

"Tom Landry was everything the world believed him to be," his son, Tom Landry Jr., said. "He was a man of virtue, of high moral character, a man whose talents and hard work propelled him to the top of his profession.

"Tom Landry never strayed from his ideals. He remains a consistent, shining example to all of us."

Although football made Landry famous, his 29 years with the Dallas Cowboys were only a backdrop for many of the stories told during an hour-long church service.

Former star quarterback Roger Staubach said the lessons Landry taught extended far beyond the field.

"He was our rock, our hope, our inspiration. He was our coach," Staubach said. "Probably there were some players that didn't love him, but they all respected him. He was committed to us, and you don't find that type of commitment in life very often."

Landry died Saturday at age 75. He had been battling leukemia since May.

The service at Highland Park United Methodist Church preceded a citywide service at a downtown symphony center. Another service was held in Mission, the southern Texas town where Landry was born and raised.

Landry was coach of the Cowboys from their birth in 1960 until February 1989. He guided the club to 20 consecutive winning seasons, 13 division titles, 5 Super Bowl appearances and 2 championships.

Although the glitzy Cowboys became "America's Team," Landry remained the quiet guy in the fedora hat and business suit. His blank expressions belied a competitive personality and caring heart.

Landry Jr. showed a remarkable composure obviously learned from his father as he read a letter that arrived several months ago. It was from a man wishing Landry the best in his medical battle, just as Landry had done for the man's 14-year-old son in 1979.

"You told Paul that you were rooting for him to beat his cancer and that you felt Paul was very brave and you thanked him for being a Cowboys fan," Landry Jr. read. "My wife told me that when Paul hung up he was like a new person."

Staubach stopped to choke back emotions several times during his eulogy, but he also drew laughs when talking about the coach's meticulous and ever-changing game plans.

Landry was such an obsessive planner that he would sit next to Staubach on the team plane or call him the night before home games. Staubach said he eventually learned to keep a playbook next to his phone.

At the Super Bowl in January 1972, Staubach was in Landry's hotel room into the wee hours until finally Alicia Landry told her husband to let the quarterback get some sleep. The cram session worked as Dallas beat Miami to make Landry and the Cowboys champions for the first time.

"It was preparation that won us that championship," Staubach said.

Staubach closed by reading a religious poem he said was Landry's favorite. It was written by Lisa Landry Childress, the coach's daughter who died in 1995 after a four-year battle with liver cancer.

"Coach," Staubach said, sniffing back tears. "Give Lisa our best. We'll miss you."

About 1,000 admirers filled the church, including the five Cowboys in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Staubach, Bob Lilly, Tony Dorsett, Randy White and Mel Renfro. More former players and coaches from Landry's days in Dallas and with the New York Giants were in the crowd.

On Wednesday, about 400 people attended a private funeral and burial. Before the casket was closed, Landry Jr. placed a fedora inside. The ceremonies also included a 21-gun salute and a flyover by F-16s and World War II-era military planes, the type Landry flew in combat over Europe.

© Copyright 2000 The Associated Press

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