In the early 1970s, Ballard made an application for a second Canadian Football League team to be based in Toronto, to play at Varsity Stadium. Bill Ballard died of cancer on March 13 at the age of 67. Ballard also signed Brje Salming to a new contract with terms that Imlach had refused to offer. Canada, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current. Obituaries - Lincoln Herald - Lincolnton, NC Include gps location with grave photos where possible. He would coach one more game, for the senior Marlies, during the 1950 Allan Cup final, after head coach Joe Primeau's father died. When asked recently about the process of succession, Paul McNamara, chairman of the board of Maple Leaf Gardens, said: ''We just don't know it. Yolanda Ballard, who died in her sleep on June 3, is survived by daughter Ana MacMillan, son Bill MacMillan, granddaughter Molly and extended family, as well as longtime caregiver Astrid von Czieslik. Obituary: Bill Ballard, son of Leafs mogul, was an entertainment pro For example, when the roof leaked, he did little more than order plastic sheets to catch the rainwater. Most of the money was left to a charitable foundation. None of the three was wearing a life jacket. Harold Ballard, 86, Feisty Owner Of Toronto Maple Leafs, Is Dead From the Toronto Star, December 3, 1969: FUNERAL SERVICES FOR MRS. DOROTHY BALLARD Funeral services will be Friday morning at 11am at Kingsway-Lambton United Church for Mrs. Dorothy Ballard, wife of Maple Leaf Hockey Club vice president Harold Ballard. Ballard's opposition to European players was so virulent that a Leafs scout used Ballard's time in jail to sign Brje Salming, one of the NHL's first great European players. In 1974, when Bassett put the Toronto Argonauts up for sale, Ballard offered to buy the team for $3 million, but his offer was rejected. He floated the idea of bringing in the NHL's California Golden Seals into the Toronto area and much later was a failed bidder for the expansion NBA Raptors.). Conn Smythe later claimed that he believed he was only selling his shares to his son, but it is very unlikely that Stafford could have acquired the millions he needed to buy the Leafs on his own. Echovita is an archive of public obituaries and death notices to keep you. She was 87. [24] Federal Labour Minister John Munrofrom Hamiltonled an unsuccessful campaign against the deal, while Bassett, having sold the Argos to William R. Hodgson by this time, was also unable to intervene. Harold Ballard, the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and a man described by his team's fact book as ''one of the most loved and hated men in Canada,'' died yesterday in Toronto. Ballard was elected to the Yacht Club's executive committee in January 1930. [13] Ballard would liken Sittler's actions to burning the Canadian flag. Weve both been to jail.. 3 talking about this. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. ''Harold is going aboard and get that gold.''. He was also the owner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) for 10 years from 1978 to 1988, winning a Grey Cup championship in 1986. Or, as The Globe and Mail's Stephen Brunt once put it, "a silver-spoon kid with survival instincts." Your suggestions have been submitted and will be reviewed by the memorial manager. And I had Billy on my side.". CPI had an exclusive arrangement with the arena, which left most rival promoters out in the cold. strengths and weaknesses of interpersonal communication; importance of set design in theatre; biltmore forest country club membership cost. Failed to remove flower. YOLANDA BALLARD Obituary (1933 - 2020) - Toronto, ON - Legacy Ballard thus felt he had little financial incentive to sign better players. . 03/28/1925 - 11/15/2019 . Mr. Ballard never remarried, although he kept close company in recent years with Yolanda Ballard, who changed her name from MacMillan to Ballard in 1987. Showcase your loved one's life story with a featured obituary. A celebration of life is planned for the Granite Club when pandemic restrictions are lifted. Burke Mortuary of Maiden Inc. Some people took him for a boob, but they didn't realize how bright he was. He negotiated lucrative deals to place advertising throughout the building, and greatly increased the number of seats in the Gardens. Face masks are required. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Forward to Family & Friends; Print; Contact Support; Upgrade; Death Certificates; Share This Obituary. For the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Ballard was appointed assistant manager of the Varsity Grads team that won the hockey gold medal. Search above to list available cemeteries. '', Mr. Ballard never let high position inhibit his tongue or his behavior. His acquisition of the Leafs, one of Canada's most revered properties, came shortly before Mr. Ballard served a year in jail on a fraud conviction for diverting money from the Gardens' accounts to his own. In November 1961, Conn Smythe sold most of his shares in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. to a consortium of his son Stafford, Toronto Telegram owner John Bassett, and Ballard. Mr. Ballard's will may determine his heir and the next owner of the team and building. [9], During the 197879 season, with the Leafs struggling to make the playoffs, Ballard fired the team's popular head coach, Roger Neilson, against the wishes of the players. Harrold Ballard - Ancestry.com In 1990, Harold Ballard died, irascible and overripe at 86. It was the second time in three years that they had made the playoffs despite finishing with a winning percentage below .400. Ballard then partnered with long-time rival Alan Eagleson and Eagleson's client Bobby Orr to get the television rights to the series, which would be used to benefit Hockey Canada and the players' union. Early in their relationship, the pair travelled to the Cayman Islands and met dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II and former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, as well as performers such as opera star Luciano Pavarotti. Their .300 winning percentage was the second-worst in franchise history. [28] However, in the end, it was a partnership of the Labatt Brewing Company, Howard Webster, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) that brought baseball to Toronto, as they were awarded an expansion team in the American League for $7 million that became the Toronto Blue Jays, who began play in 1977. At first, the players welcomed Ballard behind the bench, but the mood soon changed, particularly after Ballard benched the team captain. Harold Ballard Hurt Obituary Remember Harold Ballard Hurt. U.S. "When you get into the business at age 38, like I did, you're either crazy or you've got a great champion on your side. A system error has occurred. Well, you added Yolanda to the mix and it actually did get more colourful, recalled Bob Stellick, who worked for the Leafs on the business side in the late 80s and compared the relationship to Archie and Edith Bunker from the old sitcom All In The Family.. Harold Ballard Jr., son of the late owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is very self-deprecating, but that doesn't mean he isn't astute or insightful. Besides, what the hell position can a queen play? Burial Date: March 6, 2023. April 24, 1930 - February 27, 2023. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Make a Memorial Donation . Ballard was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as Edwin Harold Ballard. August 17, 2016 Left to cherish her memory is her loving husband Harold of 65 years and her son Gregory (Sharon); grandchildren, Nicole (Stephen), Eric. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Former Leafs owner Harold Ballard's colourful life transformed to - CBC During his tenure, he repeatedly threatened to move the franchise to Toronto (70 km north). He had already consolidated his position by buying out his daughter, Mary-Elizabeth, for $15.5 million. Review. Hockey Hall of Fame Team Owner. She was indeed because I personally witnessed it Harolds companion always.. Harold never gave it another thought. In 1991, Stavro paid off a $20 million loan that had been made to Ballard in 1980 by Molson. At age 54, Ballard was the oldest member of the group, which were otherwise all in their 30s and 40s. Verify and try again. Police surround the vehicle, and gunfire is heard on the video. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. At age 68, Ballard won a battle with Stafford's family and bought his shares, giving him a 60 percent controlling interest in the Gardens. Harold Virgil Ballard (1929 - 2015): Vest Family Trees Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. [26], In the 1970s, Ballard had also bankrolled a group, headed by Hiram Walker Distillers vice-president Lorne Duguid, intent on bringing Major League Baseball to Toronto. DEARBORN, Mo. February 28, 1945 - October 12, 2021. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Bill was born in Saint John on July 25th, 1951, son of the late Harold and Florence (nee Keir) Ballard. The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) has announced that deep-sea explorer and retired U.S. Navy commander Dr. Robert Ballard, best known for his discovery of the R.M.S. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. When the Leafs traded Sittler's close friend Lanny McDonald to the moribund Colorado Rockies on December 29, 1979, a member of the Leafs anonymously told the Toronto Star that Leafs management would "do anything to get at Sittler"[12] and was bent on undermining the captain's influence on the team. Ballard was a sports enthusiast from a young age and began running hockey teams in Toronto in the early 1930s. You thought it couldnt get any more colourful under Harold Ballard. [2] Just after the advent of colour television in Canada, the Maple Leafs installed a new lighting system. Three money-losing seasons later, in January 1978, DeGroote contacted Ballard and sold him the club for $1.3 million. She was led to the Lord by her grandfather at the age of 10 and dedicated her life to Christ at . Under coach Harry Watson, the team won the Allan Cup in 1932. However, hostility to Ballard's overture from the Toronto Argonauts (then owned by Ballard's former partner John Bassett) ensured it never went anywhere. Dr. Henry Harold Ballard, age 79, of Grand Prairie, Texas passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. [3], Ballard's greatest influence in this period was not on the ice, but on the financial performance of Maple Leaf Gardens. In his graduating year, Mr. Ballard was a student union president who helped convince the school's governors to build an athletic facility. All Work and All Play: A Life in the Outrageous Sport, p. 124, John Wiley and Sons Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON, 2005. "He had an amazing ability to put away bowls and bowls of food," Mr. Finkelstein recounts. Harold Vance Delk Jr., age 78, a resident of Bertrand, died Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at the Charleston Manor. Mr. McDermott was a pet project of Mr. Ballard's. Ballard leaves estate to charity - UPI Archives He was convicted of fraud and sent to Millhaven Institution. However, Bassett didn't force Smythe and Ballard to sell their shares, and both men remained on the board. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1977) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1987). Caught between a great inheritance in the sports world and an artistic career, he chose to lay bricks and paint. Not wanting to unnerve Mr. McDermott with the sight of an empty seat where his dad was supposed to be, Mr. Ballard spent the first half of the concert trying in vain to find a lookalike to pass for the senior McDermott. Ballard's three children had all previously received shares in Maple Leaf Gardens that they sold for more than $15 million each. Harold Ballard Jr.: Scion of notable sports character and artist That triggered a mutiny among some of the team's top players, who resigned from the squad in November. The Tiger-Cats made the playoffs every year under Ballard's ownership and played in four Grey Cup championship games, losing in 1980, 1984 and 1985 before finally winning the Cup in 1986. Rev. James Harold Ballard Obituary (1934 - 2019) | Charlotte, North Individual Ancestors Maternal line Paternal line Descendants Relationship Connections Timeline Family GEDCOM Suggest Expand all | Collapse all Personal Information | Sources | Event Map | All | PDF Reference Your Name Here. McKee, Harold Alexander (Reverend) Passed away peacefully at Henley House, St. Catharines, on Monday February 18, 2019 at the age of 86. A love so deep only silence is fit to describ Ballard is buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto with his wife Dorothy. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). "It's the same," he said, "as human beings in business.". We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. At no time before or after his trial did Ballard show any interest in being associated with Eagleson or in having members of the Leafs play the Soviets, and the move was widely seen to be a means to generate favourable public relations. However, Ballard soon began displaying tendencies that would eventually make him one of the most detested owners in NHL history. In 1944, Ballard formed Harold E. Ballard Ltd., the personal holding company he would later use to purchase shares in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. Bill Ballard - Wikipedia "Peace is wonderful, but ", Frank Orr, Cole, Stephen. She would often hang around the team office until late at night. "Maple Leaf forever? Ballard's children - Harold Jr., William and Mary Elizabeth Flynn - and his longtime companion, Yolanda Ballard, had visited him earlier Wednesday. Although she and Harold never married, Yolanda had her name legally changed. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Sittler himself ripped the captain's C off his sweater, later commenting that a captain had to be the go-between with players and management, and he no longer had any communication with management. Mom reaches under the front seat and she pulls out this gun, said MacMillan. At the time, NHL teams relied on the reserve clause to keep players from jumping to other teams in the league, but the clause could not prevent players from leaving the NHL to join a different league. The only available refreshments were large soft drinks from the concession stands.[5]. ''If there's gold on that ship, it doesn't matter what flag you fly,'' Mr. Smythe said. Harold Ballard. There is only one Mrs. Ballard and that was my mother (Dorothy, who died in 1969), said Bill Ballard, who was found of guilty of assaulting Yolanda in 1989 and fined $500. Imlach was never officially fired, but when he tried to return to his office in November, he found that his parking spot at Maple Leaf Gardens had been reassigned and Gerry McNamara had been made acting general manager. At a game in the Philadelphia Spectrum in the late 1970's, Mr. Ballard defended his friend, a hockey legend named King Clancy, when Mr. Clancy, a former player and N.H.L. Ex-Leaf Doug Gilmour looks back at the Wayne Gretzky high stick in 1993 and sees the worst officiated game you can imagine, Inside the trade of Blue Jays batting champion John Olerud, a deal former GM Gord Ash would like to have back, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Ballard had once called Sittler "the son I never had", but relations between the two took a turn for the worse with Sittler's increasing prominence in the NHLPA. I think there was a genuineness (to her caring) about his welfare, Stellick said. After being fined, he backed down and put the names in the opposite colours. The family requests donations to the Alzheimer Society in lieu of flowers. "He brought in televised boxing programs and he brought in basketball's Buffalo Braves for a few games of the NBA season. Ballard pleaded not guilty to all charges. HAROLD BALLARD OBITUARY HAROLD BALLARD III "Bo" Gary, Indiana Age 19 passed away Monday, December 4, 2006. They returned to Toronto where his father, English-born Sidney Eustace Ballard, founded Ballard Machinery Supplies Co., a sewing machine manufacturer, which at one point was one of Canada's leading manufacturers of ice skates (it went out of the business in the early 1930s, when the Canadian skate market was dominated by CCM). Canadian businessman and sportsman (19031990). Ballard was pulled from the water unconscious, but one of his friends died. In return, he was given an option to buy Maple Leaf Gardens shares from Ballard's estate. Ballard wasn't initially named to the committee when it was unveiled in March 1957, but took the place of Ian Johnston nine months later. As a young man, he loved working with horses on his aunt and uncles farm. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. He would entertain at his Thunder Beach cottage on Georgian Bay, where annually he would lead a trail of boats to Killarney, Ont. Cool as a cucumber she says, Youre going to get you blankety blank a-- out of this car or youre going to have a hole that I can put a football through from here to East Lansing., She just knew what to do at the right time.. I can see a lot of lawsuits flying around here. He participated in the 133-mile Albany, New York-New York City marathon in April 1930, finishing second in his class. BALLARD, JEAN LORENA Jean Lorena Ballard, age 90, passed away Sunday, July 28, 2013 at Rose Haven Assisted Living Center in Menahga, MN. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Harold Ballard Sheriff (Elberton, Georgia), born in Seneca, South Carolina, who passed away at the age of 78, on April 1, 2019. Anyone can read what you share. In gratitude, Williams shot a bear during a winter hunt and skinned it for Ballard's office. Mr. Finkelstein's True North record label and artist management company was taking off, and so he withdrew from the concert promotion game. "Leafs' owner Ballard spends $1.3 million to buy the Tiger-Cats," Rick Matsumoto. [31], In 1989, Bill Ballard was convicted of assaulting Yolanda and fined $500. Harold Virgil Ballard [ 1] + 1929 - 2015 (86 years) Has 18 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree. Yolanda Ballard, 87, played central role in Maple Leafs soap opera All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. James Harold Ballard Obituary - Tribute Archive He moved to the United States to be with his future wife in 2002. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Priestley, the narrator and director of "Offside: the Harold Ballard Story, wants Canadians to draw their own conclusions on the irascible sports magnate who also owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. David Steele Obituary, Des Moines, Iowa :: Iles Funeral Homes The tour marked the end of Ballard's career as a full-time hockey coach. We have set your language to A social media post showed video of what appears to be the shooting. She thought it was horrible, the way she was treated by certain members of the family, and she found it unfortunate they wouldnt recognize the status she had, Levitt said. Please include I Remember in the subject field. Ballard's desire to control players and their salaries also put him at odds with Alan Eagleson, executive director of the NHL Players' Association and a player agent whose clients included Keon's successor as captain, Darryl Sittler. At the same time, Hockey Canada and the NHL Players Association had negotiated an agreement to hold an eight-game tournament between Canadian professional hockey players and the top players from the Soviet Union. He played a key role in the Leaf dynasty of the 1960s, winning Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. October 12, 1925 - November 25, 2016 Salem, Virginia Set a Reminder for the Anniversary of Harold's Passing. At the time of this fight, both Mr. Ballard and Mr. Clancy were in their 70's. But unbeknownst to the crooner, the elder McDermott had slipped and fallen right before the show and was taken to the hospital for stitches. Harold met the love of his life, Anne Louise Dufek during his junior year. Angered that the WHA was literally in his backyard, the elder Ballard made the Toros' lease terms as onerous as possible. In 1973, the WHA moved the Ottawa Nationals to Toronto as the Toronto Toros. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto James Harold Ballard (1934 - 2019) from Charlotte, NC. His father had been in the Coast Guard at the time. Ballard's application would have required the unanimous consent of the four Eastern Football Conference owners to have been approved under the rules in effect at the time. One particular weekend, he said, Michigan beat rival Michigan State and the local students were going wild, which stalled traffic. He had his own brand of patriotism. Some information may no longer be current. A visitation will be held on Friday, August 7, from 5-7 pm, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation, 833 S. Marschall Road, Shakopee. Video of officer-involved shooting in Mustang investigated Mr. McDermott, for one, remembers him differently. About a month later, Ballard and two friends from the Yacht club were hurled from a boat into a frigid Lake Ontario. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. The WHA had insisted on bringing in all three of its surviving Canadian teams, meaning revenue from CBC telecasts now had to be split six ways rather than three. In September 1981, after Imlach had another heart attack during training camp, Ballard told the media that Imlach's poor health meant that "he's through as general manager". Shortly after taking control of the Leafs, Ballard stood trial on 49 counts of fraud, theft and tax evasion involving $205,000. "Lanny McDonald trade has Sittler in tears," Jim Kernaghan. He had claimed losses in excess of $20 million over 11 seasons with the Tiger-Cats. On the second tour, in 1965, Ballard sold tickets for two shows, even though the agreement had been for only one. This became clear when the arena was dim for the first game. One drunken, hollering student jumped into their front seat looking for a ride, scaring the kids in the back seat. He is survived by three children: William, Harold Jr. and Mary. Mr. Ballard opposed hockey games against teams from the Soviet Union, calling the Russians ''parasites and barnacles who steal our money.'' Please. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. Soon after taking over as majority owner, he forced out several longtime front-office personnel and replaced them with his own men. Following the 1930 racing season, the Yacht Club sponsored a senior team in the Ontario Hockey Association called the Toronto National Sea Fleas. Explore All. He competed in several regattas, and won the Toronto-Oakville marathon in 1929. Create an Obituary. Most of Harold Ballard's fortune will eventually go to charity and his female companion will receive $50,000 a year until she dies or marries, executors of his estate said Wednesday. Entombment will be in the Floral Hills Memorial Gardens. Born in Drain, Ore., she was a visitor to Spring Hill. Harold Ballard Sheriff Obituary Edwin Harold Ballard was born on July 30, 1903, the only child of Sidney Eustace Ballard and the former Mary Garner. On the personal side, Mr. Ballard was known as a lover of good friends and high times. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Show your support Send Flowers he asked. SEARCH. Ballard famously had his hand and footprints etched onto a concrete slab and placed it at centre ice of Maple Leaf Gardens, which deteriorated the quality of the Gardens ice. Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada. When the Fighting Saints folded, Keon received an offer from the soon-to-be dynasty New York Islanders, but Ballard still owned Keon's NHL rights and effectively blocked that deal, forcing Keon to move to the relatively stable New England Whalers. 31. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about In 1934, Ballard became manager of the West Toronto Nationals OHA junior team and hired Leaf captain Hap Day as coach. He was 86 years old and had spent most of the last two years in and out of hospitals because of diabetes-related heart problems. [27] According to Duguid, Ballard had been willing to pay as much as $15 million so he could buy and relocate the San Francisco Giants to Toronto, even though the franchise was only worth around $8 million. "He fought for the underdog," Mr. McDermott says. Along with his wife Noreen (nee Meahan . 30. William. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. David Blaine Steele, born in Titusville, PA on February 25, 1963, passed away February 24, 2023 one day before his 60th birthday. In those days, the top four teams in each division made the playoffs, regardless of record. Obituaries - for Lincolnton Lincoln County, Cherryville, Stanley, Denver, Maiden . Loving father of Alan McKee (Beverly) of Calgary, Nancy Buckham (David) of Burlington, Karen Charlebois (Del) of Newcastle and Brian McKee of St. Catharines.