The funeral of Steve Jobs was planned for Friday, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper cited "a person familiar with the matter," who described the funeral as a small and private gathering.
Jobs died Wednesday after a long battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, and much of the world has continued to mourn the loss of Apple's co-founder, lighting candles and leaving flowers, apples with one bite out of them, Post-its, notes and cards of sympathy at the company's stores around the world.
Apple's website home page continues to show a black-and-white photo of Jobs. Apple is also offering an email address — rememberingsteve@apple.com — for those who want to share their "thoughts, memories and condolences."
Lt. Sandra Brown of the Palo Alto Police Department told msnbc.com the department had not been contacted by the family regarding protection for any service or funeral in the city.
"I don't know if the funeral is in town or out of town," she said.
The police have been keeping watch at Jobs' family home, which is at a heavily traveled intersection in the city, she said. Fans and mourners who have come by the site to leave mementos "have been very respectful of the property," she said.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a letter to the company's employees Wednesday, said Apple is planning its own "celebration of Steve's extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon."
Meanwhile, an unofficial "Steve Jobs Day" for fans is planned for Oct. 14, the same day the new iPhone 4S goes on sale. The event is not connected to Apple in any way. It is being organized by "fans of Steve Jobs at Studiocom," a branding/advertising company, which says it had previously scheduled that date to celebrate and thank Jobs after he stepped down Aug. 24 as Apple's CEO. Now the celebration is turning into a tribute.
Jobs, who was 56 when he died, is survived by his wife, Laurene, and four children.
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