A cast of hundreds filled in for Kanye West today.

Numerous friends, colleagues and family members gathered Friday at Chicago State University to pay their respects to the hip-hop star's late mother, Donda West, who died Saturday night of complications resulting from a plastic surgery procedure performed the day before.

While West, who's reportedly in Europe preparing for his upcoming tour, couldn't attend the memorial, there were plenty of others close to West who were more than happy to share their feelings about the 58-year-old former professor, who taught at the school for 24 years and served as chair of the English and Communications, Media Arts and Theater departments.

"This is an absolutely impossible assignment, both emotionally and practically," said current English and Communications Department chair Dr. Brenda Eatman Aghahowa, who's also an ordained minister, in addressing the overflow crowd in the campus auditorium.

"Not only am I having to say something about my dear friend, whom we all have lost far too early, I also have to say what I want to say in just a few minutes," she said. "And as I often jokingly tell people, as a black preacher, I need at least five minutes just to clear my throat."

In her eulogy, Aghahowa expounded on West's commitment to honoring black culture, as well as to honoring each and every person's individual qualities and contributions to society, knowing that the people who make up a team are just as important as the work that team is doing.

"No big I's and no little you's in Donda's department" was one of West's mantras, according to Aghahowa.

West turned to philanthropy in recent years, helping her son found the Kanye West Foundation/Loop Dreams Teacher Training Institute, which benefits youngsters who are interested in hip-hop music. Her family has asked that people send donations to the organization in lieu of flowers. West's nephew was on hand in Chicago to represent the family.

Another friend of West's read this poem at the memorial: "How shall we celebrate mothers?/How shall we call them in the winter of their lives?/What melody will cure slow bones?/Who will bring them worriless late-years?/Who will thank them for hidden pains?"

West is scheduled to be buried Tuesday in her hometown of Oklahoma City. Kanye, who is reportedly devastated over his mom's untimely passing, canceled his appearance Thursday at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in L.A.

Meanwhile, drama continues to swirl around the plastic surgeon who operated on West last week, Dr. Jan Adams.

State and court records have shown that the former Discovery Health Network show host has been targeted in several malpractice suits, and that the California State Medical Board sought to revoke his license in April, also citing two drunken-driving arrests in March 2006 and January 2003.

One of those civil complaints almost got Adams busted Friday as a judge issued—and then revoked—a $30,000 bench warrant for his arrest when it seemed as if the doctor was going to miss a court date in connection with the judgment awarded former patient Lori Ufondu.

Ufondu charged that Adams left a surgical sponge inside her while he tried to patch up mistakes he made during a previous breast augmentation, causing her "severe physical pain and severe emotional distress." (View the complaint.)

A jury reportedly awarded Ufondu $100,000 for her troubles.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Tracy Grant issued the warrant for Adams' arrest this morning but pulled it after he showed up for court, albeit late, at 11:40 a.m. The hearing was move to 2 p.m. (View the warrant and recall.)

The doc has remained mum about West's operation, only confirming that he performed a breast reduction and tummy tuck on Nov. 9, but he did express his condolences to her family.

An autopsy was performed Tuesday, but L.A. coroner's officials would only say that her death appeared to be surgery-related but that they wouldn't have a full report on the cause of death for at least four to six weeks, pending the results of standard toxicology tests.