HOUSTON -- A hearse carrying the body of Dr. Michael DeBakey arrived at City Hall at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

It circled the City Hall reflecting pool and brought him to a waiting honor guard at the art deco east door.

His casket was carried into the Houston City Hall lobby as people whose lives he touched began gathering to pay their respects.

Dr. DeBakey performed more than 60,000 surgeries.

He saved Sandra Taylor’s husband with a quadruple bypass.

She was among those who showed up to remember the famous surgeon.

Retired Sgt. Vincent Aubrey arrived to honor a fellow veteran.

“'Cause I love him with all my heart, that’s all I can say,” Aubrey said.

DeBakey’s casket is temporarily resting under an American flag and a large video screen overhead playing scenes from his remarkable life.

A military honor guard will stand near the casket at attention all day. Fellow doctors from the Texas Medical Center will also be by Dr. DeBakey’s side.

Patricia Winter stood at DeBakey’s side for 30 years.

The retired surgical scrub nurse fought back tears when she saw DeBakey at rest.

"He was holding life in his hand. It was very exciting,” said Winter.

Others honoring DeBakey included people who never even met him.

Grady Brown is among those admirers.

“No personally, no. Just followed all of the accolades and the accomplishments that he’s made for the advancement for people in general and medicine,” he said.

Others were motivated by Dr. DeBakey’s legacy and ancestry. 

DeBakey was the son of Lebanese immigrants, a child of Louisiana, and Houston’s adopted son.

Dr. DeBakey died Friday night at the age of 99.

He will be buried in his doctor’s lab coat and a surgical cap.

His funeral, which is open to the public, will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart downtown.