He trained at OCAD in fine arts. [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. Canadian businessman and sportsman (19031990). rights reserved. William. 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. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Kingfisher County District Court prosecutors charged Ballard in March with two misdemeanor charges - carrying a firearm while under the influence of alcohol and public intoxication. Learn more about managing a memorial . In those days, the top four teams in each division made the playoffs, regardless of record. Although she and Harold never married, Yolanda had her name legally changed. They nearly duplicated that dubious achievement in 198788. We are constantly trying to improve our data and make the search for obituaries as easy as possible. As a young man, he loved working with horses on his aunt and uncles farm. Box 154, Tampico, IL 61283 www.tampicohistoricalsociety.com tampicohistoricalsociety@gmail.com President Joan Johnson, 815-438-7581 or garyjoan@thewisp.net Family History Coordinator, Denise McLoughlin 815-718-3617. The storied arena fell into disrepair during Ballard's tenure. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. He would entertain at his Thunder Beach cottage on Georgian Bay, where annually he would lead a trail of boats to Killarney, Ont. Loving father of Alan McKee (Beverly) of Calgary, Nancy Buckham (David) of Burlington, Karen Charlebois (Del) of Newcastle and Brian McKee of St. Catharines. Edwin Harold Ballard was born on July 30, 1903, the only child of Sidney Eustace Ballard and the former Mary Garner. 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. 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. While it provided a clearer picture for fans, it caused a very sharp glare that distracted players. However, Ballard did not object the following year when Hodgson sold his stake in the Argos to Carling O'Keefe notwithstanding the fact the brewer also owned a team in the WHA (the Quebec Nordiques). 31. David Michael Keon (born March 22, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre.He played professionally from 1960 to 1982, including 15 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986. There, the Nationals lost 21 in overtime to a team from the U.S.the first loss for a Canadian team at the world championships. 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. Ballard's solution was to make the CBC pay for the upgrade. Angry teammates trashed their dressing room in response. 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. Sunday, January 8, 2023 . For example, he cut the salary of chief scout and former Leafs star Bob Davidson by almost two-thirds, forcing Davidson to resign. His disregard for his father's companion, the convicted fraud artist Yolanda MacMillan, made headlines when he was found guilty of assaulting her during an incident at Maple Leaf Gardens and fined $500. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. and denied them access to the Leafs locker room. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. The Leafs, historically one of hockey's best franchises, gradually became one of its worst teams through the 1980's. Since it was a hot day, Mr. Ballard turned up the building's furnace, delayed both shows and ordered the concession stands to sell only large soft drinks. At the time, Mr. Finkelstein lived in apartment building directly behind Maple Leaf Gardens, as did musicians Murray McLauchlan and Gordon Lightfoot. In 1972, Harold Ballard's idiosyncratic bookkeeping and whimsical ideas on what money was his and what money belonged to Maple Leaf Gardens got him into severe trouble. At the time, the CFL still consisted of two autonomous conferences. [31], In 1989, Bill Ballard was convicted of assaulting Yolanda and fined $500. Family members linked to this person will appear here. There were differences of opinion on how good a businessman Harold Ballard was "He couldn't promote the Second Coming with the original cast," cracked Toronto Star columnist Frank Orr but his son's reputation was solid in that respect. Cremation services have been . 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. [10] After the season, where the Maple Leafs were swept in the quarterfinals by the Canadiens, Ballard fired general manager Jim Gregory, replacing him with his predecessor, Punch Imlach. Many years ago, a young Bill Ballard and his brother, Harold Ballard Jr., presented their father with a pair of piranhas in an aquarium for Christmas. "He was a lovely person, and I enjoyed his company," says Mr. Finkelstein, a recipient of Mr. Ballard's largesse. 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. He also removed the cushions from the home bench for Toros' games (he told an arena worker, "Let 'em buy their own cushions!") 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. 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. None of the three was wearing a life jacket. Ballard became a fan of speed skating and would attend skating events and hockey games, helping to promote the Ballard skates. After losing the battle to gain control of Maple Leaf Gardens, Mr. Ballard got out of the concert promotion business. Mr. Ballard's will may determine his heir and the next owner of the team and building. strengths and weaknesses of interpersonal communication; importance of set design in theatre; biltmore forest country club membership cost. Until he acquired control of the team and Maple Leaf Gardens in 1972, Mr. Ballard was little known outside hockey circles. Show your support Send Flowers Dr. Henry Harold Ballard, age 79, of Grand Prairie, Texas passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. But he did more than work for his father. Oops, something didn't work. One of them was Bernie Finkelstein, who with partner Bernie Fiedler was a major booker in Toronto in the early 1970s. That triggered a mutiny among some of the team's top players, who resigned from the squad in November. 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. For example, when the roof leaked, he did little more than order plastic sheets to catch the rainwater. To order copies of She fought with Ballard's family and partners over Ballard's estate following his death. They would not post a winning record again in Ballard's lifetime, going a franchise-record 13 consecutive seasons without a winning record. "He fought for the underdog," Mr. McDermott says. "Any time we were in trouble, and we were in trouble far more often than I'd like to remember, Harold was there for us.". She could dine with the Queen of England at night and the next morning be busting it with any kind of maintenance person, Gord Stellick recalled. The Marlboros lost the game but won the series and the championship. Entombment will be in the Floral Hills Memorial Gardens. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. You can always change this later in your Account settings. View Harold Edwin Ballard's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more. and spoke Slovakian as a first language. 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. However, Ballard soon began displaying tendencies that would eventually make him one of the most detested owners in NHL history. Make a Memorial Donation . Stock shares were blood in the water; lawsuits were fiercely launched. Veteran. 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 Around that time, the Leafs had made it as far as the Stanley Cup semifinals in 1978, losing to the two-time defending champions Montreal Canadiens. "Look at what he did in that year he and Peter Larsen ran Maple Leaf Gardens," says Michael Cohl, the legendary concert promoter, who with Mr. Ballard and David Wolinsky formed Concert Productions International in 1973. "If you can call a Chevrolet a Chev, why can't you call a Japanese a Jap?" Box 716 Maiden, NC 28650. She would often hang around the team office until late at night. 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. In an obituary published in the Star and Globe and Mail, the family wrote: Mother always referred to Harold as the love of her life and sadly never seemed to be able to get past his passing. Along with Parent, Rick Ley, Jim Harrison, Brad Selwood, and Guy Trottier all left the Leafs for the WHA before the 197273 season, as did some minor league prospects in the Leafs' system as well as the team's minor league coach, Marcel Pronovost. She was born November 5, 1922, in Cedar Springs MI to Harold and Cora (Miller) Ballard. The elder Ballard, shrewd and unshockable, approved of the slaughter, seeing it as allegorical. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. [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. Harold Edwin Ballard (born Edwin Harold Ballard, July 30, 1903 April 11, 1990) was a Canadian businessman and sportsman. He competed in several regattas, and won the Toronto-Oakville marathon in 1929. 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. Police surround the vehicle, and gunfire is heard on the video. Diamond Dreams: 20 Years of Blue Jays Baseball, Stephen Brunt, p.21, Penguin Books. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. After being fined, he backed down and put the names in the opposite colours. Try again later. I was afraid. 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. 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. I can see a lot of lawsuits flying around here. 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 brought in televised boxing programs and he brought in basketball's Buffalo Braves for a few games of the NBA season. The players who stayed could use the threat of joining the WHA to negotiate better contracts, and Ballard always blamed the WHA for inflating players' salaries. ''Harold is going aboard and get that gold.''. Watson chose not to return the following season, and Ballard took over the coaching duties. Slapshots: The Best and Worst of 100 Years of Hockey. Showcase your loved one's life story with a featured obituary. Shelvie "Jeannie" Workman Ballard, 85, of Newton, passed away on Friday, January 6, 2023 at Carolina Caring in Newton. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10477/harold-ballard. 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. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. February 28, 1945 - October 12, 2021. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. 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.. Through the summer of 1980, Ballard insisted that Sittler would not be back with the Leafs. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. In 1977, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and into the Canadian Football hall of Fame in 1987. After his playing days were over, Mr. Ballard quipped, "You didn't have to think too much to be the [football] centre. HAROLD BALLARD OBITUARY HAROLD BALLARD III "Bo" Gary, Indiana Age 19 passed away Monday, December 4, 2006. 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. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. [13] Ballard would liken Sittler's actions to burning the Canadian flag. Pennants proclaiming National Hockey League championships, Stanley Cup victories and other triumphs used to hang from the rafters of Maple Leaf Gardens. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1977) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1987). She was. He trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in fine arts. She was born June 22, 1937, in Versailles, Missouri, daughter of the late Juanita . As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Lone Eagle Entertainment, Sam Lim Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. CPI had an exclusive arrangement with the arena, which left most rival promoters out in the cold. Try again. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Harold Ballard I found on Findagrave.com. Ballard ran his $100 million empire, which included the Toronto Maple Leafs, Maple Leaf Gardens, the American Hockey League Newmarket Saints and a printing company, via a holding company, Harold E . Please include I Remember in the subject field. 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 . [25] After the Tiger Cats beat the Toronto Argonauts in the 1986 Eastern Final, Ballard said "You guys may still be overpaid, but after today, no one can call you losers. TAMPICO AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY - MUSEUM - FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY/RESEARCH CENTER 119 Main St., P. O. Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. To make room for more seats, Ballard removed a large portrait of Queen Elizabeth II from the Gardens. Harold attended Upper Canada College as a boarding student until dropping out in his third year in 1919. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Review. Phone: (828) 428-2460 Fax: (828) 428-4154 1101 East Maiden Road, P.O. At age 54, Ballard was the oldest member of the group, which were otherwise all in their 30s and 40s. Ballard was reappointed executive vice president. But they were taken down (on the premise that they were obstructing some customers' views). Just as Ballard's trial was beginning, he told Hockey Canada that they were welcome to use any member of the Leafs on the Canadian team, could use Maple Leaf Gardens for their training camp, and could use the building for any or all of the games in the series, with the Gardens' share of the gate receipts being donated to the NHL players' pension fund. In 1940, he became a member of the Maple Leafs Hockey Team organization, was a senior executive in 1957, became part-owner of the team in 1961 and was majority owner from February 1972 until his death at age 86. 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. You saw the seeds of a great promoter. HAROLD G BALLARD. McKee, Harold Alexander (Reverend) Passed away peacefully at Henley House, St. Catharines, on Monday February 18, 2019 at the age of 86. In 1990, Harold Ballard died, irascible and overripe at 86. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto 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. This browser does not support getting your location. "Is that an act?" His father was Toronto Maple Leafs hockey mogul Harold Ballard. He was 58. In Ballard's last 13 seasons, they only finished above fourth once and won only two playoff series. HAROLD BALLARD Years 1972-1990 Leafs record 596-736-207 Stanley Cups The skinny Sole ownership under Ballard proved disastrous both on and off the ice. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Many fans consider the Ballard era to be the darkest period in team history, even after winning four Stanley Cups in the 1960s. He was an 83 year old born in Menifee County to the union of the late Claude and Pearlie Golden White, and member of the Baptist Church. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. On November 15, 2019, . Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Canada, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current. "He would eat enough fried calamari for four people, and then order something else.". Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Harold Quinten Ingram, 78, of Hickory, passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side on Thursday . Bill Ballard died of cancer on March 13 at the age of 67. Mary Heuring (2/21/23) One particular weekend, he said, Michigan beat rival Michigan State and the local students were going wild, which stalled traffic. It's true that few men other than Mr. Ballard could have placed a relative novice such as Mr. McDermott on a national tour with the world's premier Celtic group, the Chieftains. Angered that the WHA was literally in his backyard, the elder Ballard made the Toros' lease terms as onerous as possible. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Drag images here or select from your computer for Harold Ballard memorial. On the personal side, Mr. Ballard was known as a lover of good friends and high times. He will be remembered by many because of his father, and for his partnership in CPI's revolutionary development of the live music industry and associations with legendary acts such as the Who, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones. The tour marked the end of Ballard's career as a full-time hockey coach. Echovita is an archive of public obituaries and death notices to keep you informed about people who have passed away in your. Smythe died just six weeks later. William Tyndall Sr. 1964 - 2023 William Paul Tyndall Sr., of Enid, died Monday afternoon, February 27, 2023, after an extended series of illnesses related to diabetes. Growing up in Jordan, he went to St John's Catholic School for 8 years and graduated from Jordan High School in 1952. '', Mr. Ballard once called John Ziegler, the president of the National Hockey League, a ''know-nothing shrimp'' and described his own daughter as a ''reptile.''. In the Olympic Village, Mr. Ballard stole an Olympic flag and brought it home as a souvenir. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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. "Peace is wonderful, but ", Frank Orr, Cole, Stephen. A love so deep only silence is fit to describ or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. "Leafs' owner Ballard spends $1.3 million to buy the Tiger-Cats," Rick Matsumoto. [8], At the time Ballard took over, the Leafs' captain was Dave Keon, who had been with the team since 1960. He was "Billy" to his friends, and he had many of those. [33] The purchase was the subject of a securities commission review and a lawsuit from Ballard's son Bill, but the deal stood and Stavro and his partners in MLG Ventures became the new owner of the Leafs and Maple Leaf Gardens. He played a key role in the Leaf dynasty of the 1960s, winning Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. He participated in the 133-mile Albany, New York-New York City marathon in April 1930, finishing second in his class. 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. This led to renewed criticism of Ballard's unwillingness to spend what it took to get the Leafs to the next level. 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. Search above to list available cemeteries. "Maple Leaf forever? 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. New York, U.S., State Census, 1905. Review. Harold Delk Jr. (2/22/23) BERTRAND, Mo. October 12, 1925 - November 25, 2016 Salem, Virginia Set a Reminder for the Anniversary of Harold's Passing. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. In his will, Ballard had left Yolanda $50,000 a year for the rest of her life, but she considered this inadequate and sued for $192,600 and later $381,000 a year. Davidson had served in the Leafs organization for almost 40 years in various capacities. He would coach one more game, for the senior Marlies, during the 1950 Allan Cup final, after head coach Joe Primeau's father died. Later that year, Ballard blocked Bassett's attempt to repurchase the Argos. [1] For the 1962 season, Ballard tried to introduce a hockey-style penalty box to soccer, but the rule change was not allowed by FIFA. [7], When the NHL finally did take in four WHA teams after the 197879 season, Ballard refused to support the deal. Harold Vance Delk Jr., age 78, a resident of Bertrand, died Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at the Charleston Manor. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. As Imlach was preparing to trade Sittler to the Quebec Nordiques, he had a heart attack in August and was hospitalized. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Ballard refused, citing it as a threat to program sales. Please try again later. 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. This became clear when the arena was dim for the first game. When the group's manager objected, Mr. Ballard told him the fans would tear down the building with the Beatles in it if they didn't do two shows. 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. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Ballard died of a combination of factors, including diabetes, heart problems and kidney and respiratory failure, doctors at Wellesley Hospital said in a release. He installed himself as president and chairman of Maple Leaf Gardens and governor of the Maple Leafs. She was indeed because I personally witnessed it Harolds companion always.. The only available refreshments were large soft drinks from the concession stands.[5]. Ballard was a very hands-on owner who quickly became known for being irascible and cantankerous. As a young man-about-town in Toronto's version of the Roaring Twenties, Mr. Ballard participated in speed-skating competitions, raced motorboats and drove a Pierce-Arrow. 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. All And I had Billy on my side.". Some information may no longer be current. The two men appeared together at a news conference described as "all smiles and buddy-buddy"[15] to announce that Sittler would not only be at training camp, but had reassumed his captaincy. The biggest loss was goaltender Bernie Parent, a superstar in the making, who was offered a WHA contract with financial terms far beyond what Ballard was prepared to match. Ballard was a sports enthusiast from a young age and began running hockey teams in Toronto in the early 1930s. Yolanda Ballard, the former companion of crusty Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard who became a central figure in the circus surrounding the franchise in the 1980s and '90s, has died.