LYNCHBURG -- Paul Whitten, a soft-spoken mortician, was in his office when the phone rang at 11:30 a.m. last Tuesday.

The hospital was calling: His pastor, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, had collapsed.

Whitten, 40, who runs a Lynchburg funeral home started by his grandfather, began praying.

He sings bass in the 300-person choir at Thomas Road Baptist Church, where Falwell rose to national prominence as a charismatic and controversial televangelist.

By midmorning, flags on Liberty University's campus were lowered to half-staff in the sunshine. At 5 p.m., the hospital called back. Falwell's family had requested Whitten's services.

"Obviously, it's a huge honor," said Whitten, a trim man who was born in the heart of Falwell country. "He's my pastor and, of course, the privilege for me is being able to serve his family."

Falwell, 73, lies in a dark bronze coffin on the same wooden stand carved with a cross that was last used at President Reagan's funeral in Washington National Cathedral.

"I brought it in because I knew Dr. Falwell was a big fan of Ronald Reagan," Whitten said. "I know this isn't a state funeral, but it is high profile."

On cream-colored velvet lining the coffin, Falwell cradled a worn Bible in his left hand just as he did in life. A soft light shined on the Liberty University founder's gold ring on his right hand.

At night, the campus guards watched the casket, draped with blood-red roses and baby's breath. A slight fragrance came from bouquets of lilies, irises and carnations. People lightly touched the velvet rope protecting the body.

Falwell's pilot, Granville Graham, choked up after viewing the body Thursday. He flew the pastor in a gray-and-maroon King Air F90 turboprop to as many as five speaking engagements a day during the height of the Moral Majority's popularity in the early 1980s.

"He loved flying, but every night he wanted to get home to [his wife] Macel," said Graham. "When I was diagnosed with cancer, he asked people on radio and television to pray for me."

Falwell will be viewed for seven days, seen by everyone from students departing Thursday to religious leaders at this week's funeral. Whitten called in an expert who handled the funerals of Presidents Reagan and Ford.

"I do funerals every day, but I don't do funerals like this every day," said Whitten, a mortician for 23 years. "Only the best for my pastor. I wanted to make sure that things are done correctly, given the national media exposure."

Ceremonial funeral expert Randall Weagley sipped strong coffee Thursday in the alumni room on Liberty's campus.

"When you're not nervous, that's when mistakes are made," Weagley said confidently. "The most important thing is the family gets every consideration. There is a tendency in a high-profile funeral that the attention on the family gets lost."

At 7 p.m. last Tuesday, Whitten met with Falwell's wife, sons Jerry Jr. and Jonathan, daughter, Jeannie, their spouses and several grandchildren. They discussed the funeral details as Whitten filled in vital statistics for the death certificate.

After receiving a dark blue suit, maroon tie, white shirt and glasses from the family, Whitten took care to make Falwell appear as he did in life -- 6 feet tall, robust, sharply dressed.

He wore pancake makeup for his television ministry, which often was taped after he preached at Liberty's convocations. Whitten said applying funeral makeup requires artistry.

"People close to Dr. Falwell have seen him off camera," Whitten said. "He's fair complected, and you have to be conscious of that. Virtually everyone is cosmeticized after death. The ultimate goal is simply to provide a natural, lifelike appearance."

Whitten didn't need to consult photos or Falwell's family to recall how the preacher looked, even small details such as parting his gray hair on the left.

"In this case, myself and my staff just know him well enough," he said.

At the viewing, thousands of people slowly filed past the body. Some held back tears. Others wept openly.

On Tuesday, the preacher who galvanized and infuriated so many across America will be buried in front of the historic Carter Glass Mansion, where his office had been for years. The grassy lawn is surrounded by old trees looking over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

"This is an honor for me on so many levels, personally and professionally," Whitten said. "It's the last thing I can do for my pastor. This is all I've ever wanted to do. It's my calling."