Kobe Bryant Private Funeral Was 'Extremely Hard': Vanessa Bryant, Kids Mourn At California Service

NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daughter, Gianna Marie-Onore, 13, were laid to rest February 7 at the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. A private funeral service for the Bryants was earlier held at the Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar in a ceremony attended by family and close friends. No photos were allowed.

The Bryants and seven other people were all killed in a helicopter crash last January 26 in Calabasas, California. The Sikorsky S-76 chartered executive helicopter smashed at high-speed into a Calabasas hillside in foggy weather on a Sunday morning. Also killed in the crash were Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan (the pilot).

The probable cause of the crash is still being investigated but the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on February 8 ruled out engine failure as the possible cause of the helicopter crash. This left open the possibility of pilot error as the probable cause.

Kobe is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and three other children: Natalia Diamante, 17, Bianka Bella, 3, and Capri Kobe, 7 months.

"Vanessa and the family wanted a private service to mourn their loss," said a source quoted by ET. "The ceremony was extremely hard for everyone as it's still hard for them to grasp they lost two beautiful souls."

A public memorial for Kobe and Gianna will be held February 24 at 10:00 a.m. at the Staples Center in Los Angeles where Kobe played professional basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers for his entire 20-year career in the National Basketball Association. The number "24" is special because it's Kobe's jersey number, while February (second month of the year) is a nod to Gianna's jersey number "2."

Last January 30 or four days after the helicopter crash, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti confirmed a memorial was being planned in honor of all nine victims of the crash.

"There will absolutely be a memorial to mark the contributions of this incredible man and not only him, but to commemorate the loss of his daughter and all the other families that were there," said Garcetti at the time.

Bryant was a practicing Catholic. He and his family regular attended Sunday Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach. Kobe and Gianna received the Eucharist together just hours before both were killed in the helicopter crash.