He also was the owner of the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League (1978-89), which won the 1986 Grey Cup. However, the Maple Leafs under Ballard were one of the league's most financially successful teams. Make a Memorial Donation . James Harold Ballard (1934 - 2019) from Charlotte, NC. '', See the article in its original context from. 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. There was an error deleting this problem. Bill Ballard, right, with singer Tom Cochrane and music publicist James Monaco at the opening of the musical Tommy in Toronto in 1995. Oops, something didn't work. Harold was born in Seneca, SC on September 15, 1940, son of the late John Malcom and Eunice Tucker Sheriff. It was the second time in three years that they had made the playoffs despite finishing with a winning percentage below .400. Mr. Finkelstein's True North record label and artist management company was taking off, and so he withdrew from the concert promotion game. In 1991, Stavro paid off a $20 million loan that had been made to Ballard in 1980 by Molson. 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. While it provided a clearer picture for fans, it caused a very sharp glare that distracted players. In 1969, painters doing over the Gardens' television booth used (perhaps unknowingly) a dozen or more of these banners to catch paint drips. ). I mean, he didn't get his law degree from a Cheerios box. We have set your language to Over the years, he continued to support his alma mater's Golden Hawks, and in 2009 he entered Laurier's Hall of Fame. Mr. Ballard disputed the accusation, telling her at one point that if he ever did assault her, "there won't be enough left to put in a hot dog.". To order copies of He later reversed the names and referred to himself as Harold E. Ballard. Steve Stavro, who would succeed Ballard as Leafs owner 30 years later, was co-owner of the Toronto City team. You saw the seeds of a great promoter. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Their .300 winning percentage was the second-worst in franchise history. "He was in the shadow of his father and maybe I got more attention, but he was awfully sharp. What if John Bassett had been able to buy Harold Ballards shares in the Maple Leafs? She was born November 5, 1922, in Cedar Springs MI to Harold and Cora (Miller) Ballard. One particular weekend, he said, Michigan beat rival Michigan State and the local students were going wild, which stalled traffic. 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. 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. 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. Shortly after, Ballard tried to buy the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from owner Michael DeGroote, but that offer was also rejected. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. HAROLD BALLARD OBITUARY HAROLD BALLARD III "Bo" Gary, Indiana Age 19 passed away Monday, December 4, 2006. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. Forward to Family & Friends; Print; Contact Support; Upgrade; Death Certificates; Share This Obituary. The storied arena fell into disrepair during Ballard's tenure. 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. Keon was forced to move to the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints. He said Yolanda would often show up on road trips. Through the summer of 1980, Ballard insisted that Sittler would not be back with the Leafs. 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. October 12, 1925 - November 25, 2016 Salem, Virginia Set a Reminder for the Anniversary of Harold's Passing. CPI had an exclusive arrangement with the arena, which left most rival promoters out in the cold. He was "Billy" to his friends, and he had many of those. Ballard was made business manager. 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. 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.". 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. Born Yolanda Babic, the daughter of Czech immigrants changed her name to Ballard in 1988, five years after first meeting the owner at the NHL clubs former home, Maple Leaf Gardens on Carlton Street, where he had an apartment. Police surround the vehicle, and gunfire is heard on the video. Years later, Williams would remark that all Ballard would want from his players was an honest day of hard work. As a young man, he loved working with horses on his aunt and uncles farm. 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. 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. And so, at the age of 25, armed with a law degree from Osgoode, son Bill stepped in and became director and vice-president of Maple Leaf Gardens. BALLARD, JEAN LORENA Jean Lorena Ballard, age 90, passed away Sunday, July 28, 2013 at Rose Haven Assisted Living Center in Menahga, MN. . I think there was a genuineness (to her caring) about his welfare, Stellick said. Under coach Harry Watson, the team won the Allan Cup in 1932. 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. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. After Day became coach of the Leafs in 1940, he recommended Ballard to the Leaf organization to run the Toronto Marlboros, the senior and junior teams owned by the Leafs. The Leafs and North Stars both played in the Norris Division, which was extremely weak that year; the Red Wings were the only team with a winning record. To use this feature, use a newer browser. It didn't take long for one fish to devour the other, as is their nature. His parents were Clarence Buchholz and Ruth Preston Buchholz. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? SEARCH. Toronto became a laughingstock of the. 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. Growing up in Jordan, he went to St John's Catholic School for 8 years and graduated from Jordan High School in 1952. 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 . I was afraid. 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. Never paid any taxes for me. ''He was an original, colorful and challenging individual,'' Mr. Ziegler said yesterday. Born in Drain, Ore., she was a visitor to Spring Hill. 03/28/1925 - 11/15/2019 . 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. Until he acquired control of the team and Maple Leaf Gardens in 1972, Mr. Ballard was little known outside hockey circles. She was. Harold Edwin Ballard (born Edwin Harold Ballard, July 30, 1903 April 11, 1990) was a Canadian businessman and sportsman. Ballard is buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto with his wife Dorothy. Ballard was a sports enthusiast from a young age and began running hockey teams in Toronto in the early 1930s. 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. Luckily, the singer's slightly wounded father made to his seat in time for his spotlight moment. However, many players were unwilling to sign with Toronto in any event because of Ballard's reputation. That deal closed in 1994, and shortly after Stavro bought Ballard's shares from the estate for $34 a share or $75 million. In 1985-86, they finished with a .356 winning percentage, the fourth-worst record in the league and fourth worst in franchise history. He had already consolidated his position by buying out his daughter, Mary-Elizabeth, for $15.5 million. Failed to report flower. Resend Activation Email. . Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. On October 16, 2016, as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs centennial celebrations, Keon was . expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Loving father of Alan McKee (Beverly) of Calgary, Nancy Buckham (David) of Burlington, Karen Charlebois (Del) of Newcastle and Brian McKee of St. Catharines. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. 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. Ballard died from various health complications on April 11, 1990 at the age of 86. 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. His death set off a feeding frenzy that had already been begun over the iconic properties he controlled: the Toronto Maple Leafs and. His father was Toronto Maple Leafs hockey mogul Harold Ballard. All Work and All Play: A Life in the Outrageous Sport, p. 124, John Wiley and Sons Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON, 2005. Your suggestions have been submitted and will be reviewed by the memorial manager. "He had an amazing ability to put away bowls and bowls of food," Mr. Finkelstein recounts. DEARBORN, Mo. 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. Imlach never returned to work and his contract was allowed to expire. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. 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. Mr. Ballard opposed hockey games against teams from the Soviet Union, calling the Russians ''parasites and barnacles who steal our money.'' You can always change this later in your Account settings. 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. Ballard left his personal belongings to his children and grandchildren. 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. Stock shares were blood in the water; lawsuits were fiercely launched. But Mr. Ballard became ill, called off the wedding and entered the hospital. 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. Box 716 Maiden, NC 28650. The low point came in 198485, when the Leafs finished the season with the worst record in the league, 32 games below .500. He said it served the guy right, that it would do him some good.''. Ballard's three children had all previously received shares in Maple Leaf Gardens that they sold for more than $15 million each.