In the Name, and Number, of the Father

J.T. Snow and his sisters, Michelle and Stephanie, on Saturday at All Souls Cemetery in Long Beach buried their father, Jack, next to their mother, Mary Carol, who died of cancer in 1998.

Snow, the former Angel who on Jan. 6 signed a one-year, $2-million contract with the Boston Red Sox, said, “I’ve asked the Red Sox if I can wear No. 84, and I think they’re going to let me.”

Jack Snow, who died Jan. 9 at 62, wore No. 84 during his 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

“My father meant everything to me,” J.T. Snow said.

*

Trivia time: Jack Snow was an all-around athlete at what Southern California high school?

*

A real bargain: Longtime Ram executive Jack Faulkner was among the many former team officials and players who attended the service for Snow.

“I was the one who signed Snow to his first Ram contract [in 1965],” Faulkner said. “I got approval from [owner] Dan Reeves to give him $12,000 but offered him $5,000.

“Jack told me he had to talk with his father first, but he came back the next day and accepted the $5,000. Years later, I told him he could have gotten $12,000. After that, he always said, ‘You owe me $7,000 plus interest.’ ”

*

Great athlete: Deacon Jones, asked whether he had any stories about his former teammate, said, “No, not really. Jack was just a normal guy.”

Fred Dryer begged to differ.

“Jack was not normal. He was a one-of-a-kind athlete,” Dryer said.

*

Great catch: Longtime Ram equipment manager Don Hewitt recalled seeing Snow stretch to catch a touchdown pass from Roman Gabriel against the San Francisco 49ers at Kezar Stadium in 1970.

“From my vantage point on the sideline, it looked like the pass was well overthrown,” Hewitt said. “But somehow Jack caught it. It was the greatest catch I ever saw in my 32 years in the NFL.”

*

Good teacher too: Former tight end Pat Curran said Snow, whom Curran roomed with in training camp and on the road, taught him how to catch a football.

“He showed me how to use my body,” Curran said. “Before that, he called me ‘Cymbals.’ You know, clang, clang. “

*

And a nice guy: Former center Rich Saul said that when he came to the Rams in 1970, Coach George Allen didn’t like the veterans mingling with the rookies.

“Jack was the only veteran who would talk to me,” Saul said. “That’s because I played catch with his 2-year-old son, J.T.”

*

Looking back: On this day in 1979, Willie Mays was named on 409 of 432 ballots and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

*

Trivia answer: St. Anthony’s in Long Beach.

*

And finally: Many of the former Rams at the Snow service Saturday were planning to immediately go to Huntington Beach to attend a funeral for another former Ram receiver, Ron Jessie, who died Jan. 13 of a heart attack at age 57.

“This is a tough day,” more than one of them said.

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.