Harold Ballard, 86, Feisty Owner Of Toronto Maple Leafs, Is Dead, https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/12/obituaries/harold-ballard-86-feisty-owner-of-toronto-maple-leafs-is-dead.html. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. His father was Toronto Maple Leafs hockey mogul Harold Ballard. "He brought in televised boxing programs and he brought in basketball's Buffalo Braves for a few games of the NBA season. Mr. Ballard invested in Maple Leaf Gardens when it was built in 1931 and worked there as he worked his way through the organization in various positions. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. "Silent runner or not, an incident in 1989 put Mr. Ballard in the public arena, where the light was not always flattering. A memorial service for Henry will be held Saturday, March 11, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at The Chandelier Room of Singing Hills, 6221 University Hills Blvd., Dallas, TX 75241. The tournament would become known as the Summit Series. Harold attended Upper Canada College as a boarding student until dropping out in his third year in 1919. More recently, as president of Orion Capital, he ventured into mining interests. In the mid-1970s the NHL, facing competition from the WHA, passed a rule that players' last names must be on the backs of their jerseys. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. He said Yolanda would often show up on road trips. Its only a pellet gun, but its lifelike. Ballard is buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto with his wife Dorothy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Lone Eagle Entertainment, Sam Lim On the hot summer day of one of the concerts, Ballard ordered the building's heat turned up, shut off the water fountains, and also delayed both of the concerts for over an hour. He had been blessed with gusto, dollars and an affable spirit, and he squandered none of it. However, this was largely because Ballard was unwilling to increase the payroll in order to improve the on-ice product, despite playing in the fourth-largest market. Diamond Dreams: 20 Years of Blue Jays Baseball, Stephen Brunt, p.47, Penguin Books, Date-by-date story of Gardens takeover fight,", Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League, Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission, 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, "Harold Ballard: Hockey's Miscreant Owner", "37 Year Cup Drought: The Legacy of Harold Ballard", "Harold Ballard, 86, Feisty Owner of Toronto Maple Leafs, Is Dead", CBC Digital Archives Harold Ballard Convicted of Fraud, Hockey Trade Rumors NHL Rumors from around the league 37 Year Cup Drought The Legacy of Harold Ballard, CBC Digital Archives Canada's Favourite BROAD-caster, "Black Aces: The Gutter Bin Presents More Classic Quotes", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harold_Ballard&oldid=1140958443, Canada men's national ice hockey team coaches, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In August 1979, to make room for private boxes, he had. McKee, Harold Alexander (Reverend) Passed away peacefully at Henley House, St. Catharines, on Monday February 18, 2019 at the age of 86. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10477/harold-ballard. At the time he was studying law, while she worked as a title searcher for a Toronto firm. According to Ballard's lawyer, his estate was worth less than $50 million. She would often hang around the team office until late at night. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. A celebration of life is planned for the Granite Club when pandemic restrictions are lifted. He first gained attention in the late 1960s on the football gridiron of his alma mater, Waterloo Lutheran (now Wilfrid Laurier University). Family members linked to this person will appear here. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1977) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1987). He played a key role in the Leaf dynasty of the 1960s, winning Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. In July 1979, Ballard brought his longtime friend, Imlach, back to the organization as general manager. On October 16, 2016, as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs centennial celebrations, Keon was . Ballard booked The Beatles on each of their three North American tours from 19641966. ). Dr. Henry Harold Ballard, age 79, of Grand Prairie, Texas passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Even though the Leafs were barely competitive for much of the latter part of Ballard's tenure, every game at Maple Leaf Gardens was sold out. Never paid any taxes for me. Ballard thus felt he had little financial incentive to sign better players. In fact, for a short while, he stood in for him. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Born Aug. 6, 1944, at Cairo, Illinois, to the late Harold Vance Delk Sr. and Mary Cogdill Delk, he had lived in Bertrand most of his life. He participated in the 133-mile Albany, New York-New York City marathon in April 1930, finishing second in his class. Within three years under the new owners, profits at the Gardens had tripled to just under $1 million. To do that, Ballard bought 24% of son Harold Jr.'s shares for $25 million. 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.. Even after the NHL-WHA merger was finalized over Ballard's objections, it was only the intervention of NHL President John Ziegler that finally persuaded Ballard to not reclaim Keon's rights (which would have effectively ended his career) and allow him to play three more seasons with the mediocre Hartford Whalers. The executors of Ballard's will were Steve Stavro, Don Giffin and Don Crump. Keon never forgave Ballard for how he had been treated, and it was more than 20 years before he was reconciled with the Leafs. In 1991, Stavro paid off a $20 million loan that had been made to Ballard in 1980 by Molson. He was convicted of fraud and sent to Millhaven Institution. Burial Date: March 6, 2023. [6] During the time Harold was in prison, his son Bill managed the Maple Leaf Gardens. 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. Some information may no longer be current. Smythe died just six weeks later. Although the Leafs were barely competitive for much Ballard's tenure, every game at Maple Leaf Gardens was sold out and he was well known for his charitable activities. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Face masks are required. He was a lifetime resident of Gary and attended Wirt High School. 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. Harold Douglas Buchholz passed away on October 12, 2021 at his home on Heart Mountain. "Lanny McDonald trade has Sittler in tears," Jim Kernaghan. Though Imlach was gone, Sittler's relationship with the Leafs worsened again in the 198182 season and he was traded that year to the Philadelphia Flyers. Once you find the obituary you are looking for, you can get important information about upcoming services, share a favorite photo or memory, and send flowers or gifts to the family. Many fans consider the Ballard era to be the darkest period in team history, even after winning four Stanley Cups in the 1960s. Drag images here or select from your computer for Harold Ballard memorial. 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. When he relented, Yolanda knowing he had also spent time behind bars, for fraud in 1972 reportedly broke the ice by saying: Weve got something in common. Hough relented, and the broadcast went on as scheduled. 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. Try again later. Soon, they were a couple. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. However, due to playing in a division where no team cracked the 90-point barrier, they still made the playoffs. He is 1 of 7 names to be on both the Stanley Cup and Grey Cup. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He was 58. Funds were also used to renovate his Midland cottage, to rent limousines for his daughter's wedding in 1967, and to buy motorcycles for his sons (passing off the expense as hockey equipment for the Marlboros), as well as placing money belonging to the corporation into a private bank account that he controlled along with Stafford Smythe. Imlach never returned to work and his contract was allowed to expire. William. The committee came to be known as the "Silver Seven". DEARBORN, Mo. [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 was 86. Ballard. The Marlies won the Memorial Cup in 1955their first championship in 26 yearsand repeated the feat the following season. Follow Brad Wheeler on Twitter: @BWheelerglobeOpens in a new window. '', Mr. Ballard never let high position inhibit his tongue or his behavior. It is with heavy hearts that the family of William Joseph "Bill" Ballard announce his passing, after a brief illness, at the Saint John Regional Hospital on Sunday, July 10th, 2022. In 1955, she met Bill MacMillan, the son of a noted magistrate. Shortly after, Ballard tried to buy the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from owner Michael DeGroote, but that offer was also rejected. "[25] A few days later, the Tiger Cats won the 1986 Grey Cup by beating the Edmonton Eskimos 3915 and Ballard said it was worth every penny. In Toronto, one of the most British of Canadian cities, with downtown streets named ''King'' and ''Queen,'' a large picture of Queen Elizabeth used to hang in Maple Leaf Gardens. During his tenure as owner of the Tiger-Cats, Ballard for a short time had the Tiger-Cats logo painted at centre ice of Maple Leaf Gardens in place of the blue Maple Leaf. At age 54, Ballard was the oldest member of the group, which were otherwise all in their 30s and 40s. Angry teammates trashed their dressing room in response. 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. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. None of the three was wearing a life jacket. In 1934, Ballard became manager of the West Toronto Nationals OHA junior team and hired Leaf captain Hap Day as coach. Hurt, 91, of Salem, passed away on Friday, November 25, 2016. Yolanda's lawyer Howard Levitt stated there had been a marriage proposal. But Ballard did not take the unproven WHA seriously as a competitor and so was outbid on the services of several players in the Leafs organization. In 1965, he sold tickets for two Beatles concerts on the same day, although the contract called for only one. Hockey Hall of Fame Team Owner. She was 87. A social media post showed video of what appears to be the shooting. 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. "Is that an act?" "Peace is wonderful, but ", Frank Orr, Cole, Stephen. 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. Ballard refused, citing it as a threat to program sales. He installed himself as president and chairman of Maple Leaf Gardens and governor of the Maple Leafs. As a reward for his role in the purchase, Ballard was named executive vice president of Maple Leaf Gardens, alternate governor of the Maple Leafs and chairman of the team's hockey committee. 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. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Please include I Remember in the subject field. 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, JEAN LORENA Jean Lorena Ballard, age 90, passed away Sunday, July 28, 2013 at Rose Haven Assisted Living Center in Menahga, MN. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. I know the family and friends were totally aghast and Oh my god, shes a gold digger but he figured out she could take his s--- and she, as time evolved, became his caregiver.. Harold served two years in the. It was the second time in three years that they had made the playoffs despite finishing with a winning percentage below .400. Make a life-giving gesture There was an error deleting this problem. 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. As Imlach was preparing to trade Sittler to the Quebec Nordiques, he had a heart attack in August and was hospitalized. He had his own brand of patriotism. He told friends that on a visit to the Soviet Union he had put a Maple Leaf sticker on Lenin's tomb. Try again later. Mom reaches under the front seat and she pulls out this gun, said MacMillan. Burke Mortuary of Maiden Inc. "Maple Leaf forever? Bill MacMillan Jr., who said he was estranged from his mother at the time of her death, recalled how protective his five-foot little nothing mom could be. Slapshots: The Best and Worst of 100 Years of Hockey. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Harold Ballard. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. 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. Ballard never forgave the WHA for this, and became the leader of the hardline faction of NHL owners who opposed any merger with the upstart league. ''Harold hit him one shot; knocked him kicking,'' Mr. Clancy said in a 1984 interview. . "He fought for the underdog," Mr. McDermott says. Entombment will be in the Floral Hills Memorial Gardens. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. The Leafs, historically one of hockey's best franchises, gradually became one of its worst teams through the 1980's. William Owen Sydney Ballard (November 10, 1946 - March 14, 2014) was a businessman and concert promoter. When an outraged Bassett complained, Ballard demanded $3,500 for use of the lights. Preceded in death by his parents, William Wallace and Carrie Buford (Pinkard) Hurt; brother, William ("Bill") Wallace, Jr.; and sister, Frances Hurt. In 1969, painters doing over the Gardens' television booth used (perhaps unknowingly) a dozen or more of these banners to catch paint drips. Oops, something didn't work. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. "He would eat enough fried calamari for four people, and then order something else.". You can always change this later in your Account settings. 1910 United States Federal Census. What if John Bassett had been able to buy Harold Ballards shares in the Maple Leafs? In 1969, Ballard and Stafford Smythe were charged with tax evasion and accused of using Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. to pay for their personal expenses. 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. In August, just weeks before the series began, Ballard was convicted on 47 of the charges. [1] The younger Ballard became a director and vice-president of Maple Leaf Gardens in 1972 when his father was sentenced to prison for fraud. In addition to sharing the Braves with Buffalo, he had notions of a second CFL franchise and big-league baseball, too. 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. After the owners death in 1990, however, she was involved in a bitter dispute with Ballards children Bill, Mary Elizabeth and Harold Jr. over his estate. However, as Ken Dryden put it in his book The Game, he seemed "like [a] wrestling villain who touches the audience to make his next villainy seem worse.". This account has been disabled. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. he asked. Dave "Tiger" Williams who played with the Leafs from 1973 to 1980 had a close relationship with Ballard. In 1990, Harold Ballard died, irascible and overripe at 86. While touring Europe, the Nationals were involved in several fights, both on the ice and off. In 1957, Ballard moved up to the Maple Leafs as a member of a committee chaired by Stafford Smythe which oversaw hockey operations after Conn Smythe stepped down as general manager and Hap Day was pushed out of the Leafs organization. Bill Ballard, right, with singer Tom Cochrane and music publicist James Monaco at the opening of the musical Tommy in Toronto in 1995. BALLARD, YOLANDA ANNA January 3, 1933 - June 3, 2020 It is with the greatest of sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved Mother, Yolanda Ballard. HAROLD BALLARD OBITUARY Harold G. Ballard, born November 20, 1932 in New Orleans and a resident of the Central Community since 1960, died Sunday July 1, 2018. When you have found an obituary of interest, you have the option of upgrading that obituary with more recent and relevant content unless the obituary is already assigned to another user. He could not get enough of his grandma's cooking. The Stellicks and Howard Levitt, a family friend and lawyer, contend Yolanda deserved the settlement. He was so. After being fined, he backed down and put the names in the opposite colours. Anyone can read what you share. 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. Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. [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. Harold Mark was born on April 25, 1935, at the birthing house in Le Sueur County to the proud parents of Lawrence and Emily (Bastyr) Beckman. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. referee, angered a fan by accidentally knocking over the man's beer. Police surround the vehicle, and gunfire is heard on the video. For six years before World War I, Ballard and his family lived in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Titanic, will be the featured speaker at the 2023 CAS Spring Meeting, May 7-10, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.. Best known for his 1985 discovery of the Titanic, Ballard has succeeded in tracking down numerous other significant . His last months were filled with court fights involving his children. Years later, Williams would remark that all Ballard would want from his players was an honest day of hard work. The Marlboros lost the game but won the series and the championship. However, he insisted on receiving compensation for Keon, and set the price so high that potential suitors shied away, in effect preventing Keon from joining another NHL team. He was born on February 28, 1945, in Astoria, Oregon. At first, the players welcomed Ballard behind the bench, but the mood soon changed, particularly after Ballard benched the team captain. Fed up with being what he described as the "vice-president in charge of being the boss's son," he moved on to CPI , along with a $5-million loan from his father that helped found the company. Search above to list available cemeteries. SEARCH. When asked about it, Ballard replied "She doesn't pay me, I pay her. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Under Day and Ballard, the Nationals won the Memorial Cup at the end of the 193536 season. He competed in several regattas, and won the Toronto-Oakville marathon in 1929. Shelvie "Jeannie" Workman Ballard, 85, of Newton, passed away on Friday, January 6, 2023 at Carolina Caring in Newton. Harold George Ballard - age 68 of Kodak passed away Sunday, December 3, 2017. Showcase your loved one's life story with a featured obituary. As this year's Maple Leaf press guide put it, ''He continues to defy his critics and dumbfound his detractors by basically just doing whatever he pleases, regardless of what anyone else thinks. 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. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto 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. Ballard was a very hands-on owner who quickly became known for being irascible and cantankerous. Make a Memorial Donation . He won Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967, all as part-owner. He was recognized for this on his citation during his 1977 Hockey Hall of Fame induction. They nearly duplicated that dubious achievement in 198788. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. (His father had made the team's skates.) One of the key players in the fight was his son Bill, a major concert promoter and something of a chip off the old block what he didn't learn at Osgoode Hall Law School, his father had taught him. I was afraid. Show your support Send Flowers When she didnt travel with the team, she would arrange for suitable food to be sent to Harolds hotel room, ensuring the diabetic would eat well. He had worked early on with Neil Young and Joni Mitchell in smaller venues, but by the time CPI came into being he saw the writing on the wall. '', See the article in its original context from. Or, as The Globe and Mail's Stephen Brunt once put it, "a silver-spoon kid with survival instincts." This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. [30] Even before his death, there had been battles between his children, Bill Ballard, Harold Ballard Jr., and Mary Elizabeth Flynn, and his longtime companion, Yolanda Ballard. Learn . Shortly after taking control of the Leafs, Ballard stood trial on 49 counts of fraud, theft and tax evasion involving $205,000. Learn more about managing a memorial . As a member of the National Yacht Club, Ballard became an avid racer of Sea Fleas, small outboard hydroplanes. A system error has occurred. Latest Obituaries. Their best season in more than a decade has been the current one, during which Mr. Ballard was gravely ill and others assumed control. However, many players were unwilling to sign with Toronto in any event because of Ballard's reputation. He negotiated lucrative deals to place advertising throughout the building, and greatly increased the number of seats in the Gardens. Besides, what the hell position can a queen play? This proved to be a serious strategic blunder, as Smythe and Ballard controlled almost half the company's shares between them. U.S. Harold Otto Hallberg, age 89, of Jordan, MN, formerly of St. Paul, MN, passed peacefully on Friday, July 31, 2020, at Oak Terrace Senior Living, in Jordan. This browser does not support getting your location. During his tenure, he repeatedly threatened to move the franchise to Toronto (70 km north). Harold Fred Weber, Jr. Manning, South Carolina March 4, 1945 - April 24, 2020 Tribute Wall Obituary & Events Share a memory Send Flowers Share a memory of Harold Fred Weber, Jr.. Plant a tree in memory of Harold An environmentally friendly option Plant a tree b benny putnam December 23, 2020 I worked with Harold in Cheraw many years ago. Ballard's children - Harold Jr., William and Mary Elizabeth Flynn - and his longtime companion, Yolanda Ballard, had visited him earlier Wednesday. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One drunken, hollering student jumped into their front seat looking for a ride, scaring the kids in the back seat. Years later, he told friends that someone eventually stole it from him. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Make sure that the file is a photo. Although she and Harold never married, Yolanda had her name legally changed. "Leafs' owner Ballard spends $1.3 million to buy the Tiger-Cats," Rick Matsumoto. Along with a sister and a brother, Mr. Ballard grew up in the towering shadow of his father's loud, blustery life. Weve both been to jail.. He was "Billy" to his friends, and he had many of those. Please. He later reversed the names and referred to himself as Harold E. Ballard. Harold would pretend to be angry, then make sure she had a ticket. Ballard was made business manager. Obituary. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. She was indeed because I personally witnessed it Harolds companion always.. His father was the foreman of a machinery company and his mother took in boarders. Investigators said Ballard allegedly pulled out a firearm; shots were fired, and the 42-year-old died at the scene. After Ballard took control during the 197172 season, one of the first challenges he faced was the creation of the World Hockey Association (WHA) as a competitor to the NHL. In the early 1950s, Ballard hired his long-time friend Stafford Smythe, son of Leafs owner Conn Smythe, as managing director of the Marlboros. 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.. 30. Phone: (828) 428-2460 Fax: (828) 428-4154 1101 East Maiden Road, P.O. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. All Work and All Play: A Life in the Outrageous Sport, p. 124, John Wiley and Sons Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON, 2005.