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A group of people in the Seattle classical music scene are organizing a memorial for Edward McMichael outside McCaw Hall (where he played for opera patrons) Saturday at 11 a.m. Horns are encouraged.

If you've ever watched the Mariners or Seahawks, or taken your beloved to the opera, you know Ed McMichael. He's the guy blowing a round of "Oh When the Saints Go Marching In" as you head back to your car after a night on the town. While we were talking once last spring, people didn't just give him change, several Safeco regulars were on a first name basis. One brought him dinner from Dick's, asking if Ed used the tickets he gave him earlier.

But playing the tuba wasn't just a lark; McMichael was a veritable database of information on all things low brass. He can rattle off the names of classical composers and tell you which ones gave his favorite instrument more than a two-note oom pa pa line. His favored Richard Strauss, a 19th century composer made famous by the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

This morning's PI reports that McMichael died of injuries after being attacked and mugged over a week ago. He was treated for head injuries and sent home to recover. His apartment manager at the Virginia Inn found him dead yesterday.

It's enough to make you wonder if there's any hope for human kind at all. What kind of a person could beat up and rob a man who brightens people's days with a tuba named Tubby? Police have two suspects in custody.

McMichael deserves our undying gratitude for making Seattle a better place to live. And if there's a Heaven or something like it after we die here, you can bet there's a shiny new tuba waiting at the gates and a chorus of angels warming up for a round of Take Me Out to the Ballgame.