SEARCH. Ballard was a very hands-on owner who quickly became known for being irascible and cantankerous. Weve updated the security on the site. 30. At the time, Mr. Finkelstein lived in apartment building directly behind Maple Leaf Gardens, as did musicians Murray McLauchlan and Gordon Lightfoot. The tournament would become known as the Summit Series. Along with his wife Noreen (nee Meahan . '', Mr. Ballard never let high position inhibit his tongue or his behavior. Bill was born in Saint John on July 25th, 1951, son of the late Harold and Florence (nee Keir) Ballard. Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. Their .300 winning percentage was the second-worst in franchise history. He was convicted of fraud and sent to Millhaven Institution. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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. Burke Mortuary - Newton-Conover 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. AGE undefined Harold Ballard North Highlands, CA View Full Report Relatives Nilajay Butler Phone Address AGE 70s In fact, for a short while, he stood in for him. In 1990, Harold Ballard died, irascible and overripe at 86. You thought it couldnt get any more colourful under Harold Ballard. At first, the players welcomed Ballard behind the bench, but the mood soon changed, particularly after Ballard benched the team captain. "His own boat was called Midnight Mischief, and it was aptly named," says John McDermott, the successful Scottish-Canadian tenor. "He would eat enough fried calamari for four people, and then order something else.". You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. After Ballard's release from prison, he had an apartment built at the Gardens facing Church Street where he would live through most of the year, while spending summers at his cottage near Lafontaine, Ontario in the Thunder Beach community. . He was recognized for this on his citation during his 1977 Hockey Hall of Fame induction. ", (Indeed, Mr. Ballard was an enthusiastic chaser of properties to bring into Toronto. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1977) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1987). Indianapolis Star-News Obituary Indexes since December 20, 2006 . All He trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in fine arts. 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. The elder Ballard, shrewd and unshockable, approved of the slaughter, seeing it as allegorical. 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. "He was a lovely person, and I enjoyed his company," says Mr. Finkelstein, a recipient of Mr. Ballard's largesse. Obituaries - for Lincolnton Lincoln County, Cherryville, Stanley, Denver, Maiden . After a brief stay at Kingston Penitentiary, he was moved to a minimum-security facility that was part of Millhaven Institution. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He was so. Hockey Hall of Fame Team Owner. 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. he asked. Echovita is an archive of public obituaries and death notices to keep you. He would coach one more game, for the senior Marlies, during the 1950 Allan Cup final, after head coach Joe Primeau's father died. One particular weekend, he said, Michigan beat rival Michigan State and the local students were going wild, which stalled traffic. Learn more about managing a memorial . and denied them access to the Leafs locker room. Pennants proclaiming National Hockey League championships, Stanley Cup victories and other triumphs used to hang from the rafters of Maple Leaf Gardens. 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. Ballard also signed Brje Salming to a new contract with terms that Imlach had refused to offer. Mr. Finkelstein's True North record label and artist management company was taking off, and so he withdrew from the concert promotion game. 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. On the second tour, in 1965, Ballard sold tickets for two shows, even though the agreement had been for only one. After his parole, he stated that prison life was like staying in a motel, with colour television, golf, and steak dinners. Caught between a great inheritance in the sports world and an artistic career, he chose to lay bricks and paint. In July 1979, Ballard brought his longtime friend, Imlach, back to the organization as general manager. Some people took him for a boob, but they didn't realize how bright he was. 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. That triggered a mutiny among some of the team's top players, who resigned from the squad in November. The court awarded her $91,000.[32]. She claimed to have been with Ballard for eight years at the time of his death. After being fined, he backed down and put the names in the opposite colours. Ballard thus felt he had little financial incentive to sign better players. '', 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.''. At the time, the CFL still consisted of two autonomous conferences. This led to renewed criticism of Ballard's unwillingness to spend what it took to get the Leafs to the next level. (His father had made the team's skates.) HAROLD G BALLARD. [15] Ballard told the press that the real battle had been between Imlach and Eagleson, and Sittler just got caught in the crossfire. As a member of the National Yacht Club, Ballard became an avid racer of Sea Fleas, small outboard hydroplanes. Ballard fronted Stafford Smythe most of the $2.3 million purchase price. For example, when the roof leaked, he did little more than order plastic sheets to catch the rainwater. Keon never forgave Ballard for how he had been treated, and it was more than 20 years before he was reconciled with the Leafs. He would entertain at his Thunder Beach cottage on Georgian Bay, where annually he would lead a trail of boats to Killarney, Ont. 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. 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. Face masks are required. This article was published more than 8 years ago. Harold left Yolanda $50,000 a year in his will, but she also wanted a lump sum, part ownership of the family cottage and $12,000 for their dog, TC Puck. Ballard was made business manager. 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.. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. He was not only angry at how the WHA had decimated his roster earlier in the decade, but also wasn't enamored at the prospect of reduced television revenue. 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. 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. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. Featured Obituary. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. All Work and All Play: A Life in the Outrageous Sport, p. 124, John Wiley and Sons Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON, 2005. 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. There was an error deleting this problem. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Harold Ballard (10477)? 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. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. ''If there's gold on that ship, it doesn't matter what flag you fly,'' Mr. Smythe said. Soon after taking over as majority owner, he forced out several longtime front-office personnel and replaced them with his own men. April 24, 1930 - February 27, 2023. Indeed, the one story about Mr. Ballard's excitable metabolism that has been recycled more than the others over the years involves a visit to New York, where a stunned matre d' witnessed the man's gustatory feats. 03/28/1925 - 11/15/2019 . Subsequent league expansions and format revisions make it impossible for a team so close to the bottom of the league standings to qualify for the playoffs today. Ballard booked The Beatles on each of their three North American tours from 19641966. [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. herculoids gloop and gleep sounds A system error has occurred. 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. New York, U.S., State Census, 1905. Review. "Silent runner or not, an incident in 1989 put Mr. Ballard in the public arena, where the light was not always flattering. He competed in several regattas, and won the Toronto-Oakville marathon in 1929. Although she and Harold never married, Yolanda had her name legally changed. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. 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 never gave it another thought. While touring Europe, the Nationals were involved in several fights, both on the ice and off. 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. Forward to Family & Friends; Print; Contact Support; Upgrade; Death Certificates; Share This Obituary. In 1977, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and into the Canadian Football hall of Fame in 1987. Off the ice, the Maple Leafs under Ballard were one of the league's most financially successful teams. He could not get enough of his grandma's cooking. I mean, he didn't get his law degree from a Cheerios box. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? - Margaret Mae Hernandez, 85, of Dearborn, Missouri, passed away Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at her home. 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. She was 87. Hurt, 91, of Salem, passed away on Friday, November 25, 2016. Ballard even claimed to possess photographs of himself drinking beer with corrections officers and wearing one of their uniforms. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? rights reserved. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments.