The late, unlamented Reverend Fred Phelps was no stranger to Atlanta.

He made a famous visit here in 2010, among others, and had even threatened to boycott the funeral of Coretta Scott King.

Still, a local gay rights activist declines to speak ill of the dead.

"I never celebrate in someone's passing,” Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham tells WSB. “However, certainly the way he lived his life caused a lot of pain to many people."

Westboro Baptist Church's 2010 descent upon the metro produced counter-demonstrations, some of which outnumbered Phelps' Kansas contingent.  Grady High School students organized much of the counter-demonstration.

Of that visit, Graham says, "It was certainly a sad day to have them come, but it was a great day to see so many people from so many different communities come together to stand in opposition to what Westboro Baptist Church stood for."