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. "Maple Leaf forever? [6] During the time Harold was in prison, his son Bill managed the Maple Leaf Gardens. 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. 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. [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. That deal closed in 1994, and shortly after Stavro bought Ballard's shares from the estate for $34 a share or $75 million. Never paid any taxes for me. Bill was born in Saint John on July 25th, 1951, son of the late Harold and Florence (nee Keir) Ballard. After his parole, he stated that prison life was like staying in a motel, with colour television, golf, and steak dinners. 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.. 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 . Ballard to Ottawa writer Earl McRae in the 1980s. He is survived by three children: William, Harold Jr. and Mary. None of the three was wearing a life jacket. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. They married in 1957 and had two children before he filed for divorce. [13] Ballard would liken Sittler's actions to burning the Canadian flag. Harold never gave it another thought. Ballard was a legendary personality who was known for alienating many of the most popular Leafs stars of the day, including Dave Keon, the team captain, and Darryl Sittler, another captain, whom. The following season, Day and Ballard worked together to run a senior team sponsored by E. P. Taylor's Dominion Brewery. Harold was born in Seneca, SC on September 15, 1940, son of the late John Malcom and Eunice Tucker Sheriff. He often fought with league authorities, his employees, the news media, the fans and his children, often chuckling as he moved from battle to battle. 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. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. What if John Bassett had been able to buy Harold Ballards shares in the Maple Leafs? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Under Day and Ballard, the Nationals won the Memorial Cup at the end of the 193536 season. 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. Phone: (828) 428-2460 Fax: (828) 428-4154 1101 East Maiden Road, P.O. He finished his sentence at a halfway house in Toronto, and was paroled in October 1973 after serving a third of his sentence. 03/28/1925 - 11/15/2019 . This article was published more than 8 years ago. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. A social media post showed video of what appears to be the shooting. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Verify and try again. He was so. He was 58. 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. Harold Ballard. This is a carousel with slides. ''Harold is going aboard and get that gold.''. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10477/harold-ballard. '', Mr. Ballard never let high position inhibit his tongue or his behavior. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Ballard's solution was to make the CBC pay for the upgrade. Two days later, Ballard asked Neilson to return, but with a paper bag over his head so as to conceal his identity. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Born in Drain, Ore., she was a visitor to Spring Hill. He was 86. The tour marked the end of Ballard's career as a full-time hockey coach. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto His death set off a feeding frenzy that had already been begun over the iconic properties he controlled: the Toronto Maple Leafs and the building the team played in, Maple Leaf Gardens. He trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in fine arts. Face masks are required. [25] In 1986, Ballard publicly called the Tiger Cats a bunch of overpaid losers. He was a lifetime resident of Gary and attended Wirt High School. She was a canning manager and was a. Ballard's three children had all previously received shares in Maple Leaf Gardens that they sold for more than $15 million each. Obituary. 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). To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. In the Olympic Village, Mr. Ballard stole an Olympic flag and brought it home as a souvenir. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Diamond Dreams: 20 Years of Blue Jays Baseball, Stephen Brunt, p.21, Penguin Books. Canada, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. . 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 He said Yolanda would often show up on road trips. I mean, he didn't get his law degree from a Cheerios box. View Harold Edwin Ballard's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more. Harold Vance Delk Jr., age 78, a resident of Bertrand, died Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at the Charleston Manor. "There's not a remote chance I would have a career if not for Bill Ballard.". No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. 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. Often he was the guest of Mr. Ballard at the arena's private Hot Stove Lounge, where Mr. Ballard awed all with his epic bouts of dining. 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. Ballard was made business manager. 30. Some information may no longer be current. Years later, Williams would remark that all Ballard would want from his players was an honest day of hard work. [14] Eagleson called the trade "a classless act."[12]. 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. Keon was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. There was an error deleting this problem. Learn more about merges. Mrs. Ballard died suddenly yesterday morning in Wellesley. While touring Europe, the Nationals were involved in several fights, both on the ice and off. Ballard was a very hands-on owner who quickly became known for being irascible and cantankerous. JEAN BALLARD OBITUARY. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. She was led to the Lord by her grandfather at the age of 10 and dedicated her life to Christ at . Burke Mortuary of Maiden Inc. He was recognized for this on his citation during his 1977 Hockey Hall of Fame induction. Indianapolis Star-News Obituary Indexes since December 20, 2006 . Nevertheless, they still qualified for the playoffs under the playoff format in use at the time. Stock shares were blood in the water; lawsuits were fiercely launched. Pennants proclaiming National Hockey League championships, Stanley Cup victories and other triumphs used to hang from the rafters of Maple Leaf Gardens. April 24, 1930 - February 27, 2023. With Ballard's support, Imlach moved to dismantle the roster and undermine Sittler's influence, despite many analysts viewing the team as having a promising future. Hough relented, and the broadcast went on as scheduled. 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). 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. "They loved each other deeply," Mr. Cohl says. At the time of this fight, both Mr. Ballard and Mr. Clancy were in their 70's. Commented former Leafs' captain, Ballard had special gold medals made up for the Canadian team, after they were expelled from the, At the same postgame show, Ballard proceeded to get into an on-air argument with Dick Beddoes, which involved Beddoes saying Ballard would be better suited to guessing weights at the, For his 85th birthday party, Ballard invited Hunt, who was then with the, Biographical information and career statistics from, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 17:05. Obituary James Harold Ballard, of Sharpsburg, passed away Wednesday, December 23, 2020. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Ballard was reappointed executive vice president. Failed to report flower. 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. Ballard remained as de facto general manager even when Imlach recovered. Featured Obituary. 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. Failed to remove flower. Ballard used the opportunity to name himself acting general manager and hold talks with Sittler, and the two agreed that Sittler would return to the team for the 198081 season. 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. She was born June 22, 1937, in Versailles, Missouri, daughter of the late Juanita . 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. When Day was busy with the Leafs and unavailable for games, Ballard would step behind the bench as acting coach. Their .300 winning percentage was the second-worst in franchise history. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. [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. Keon was forced to move to the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints. Please include I Remember in the subject field. February 28, 1945 - October 12, 2021. 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. Three money-losing seasons later, in January 1978, DeGroote contacted Ballard and sold him the club for $1.3 million. He negotiated lucrative deals to place advertising throughout the building, and greatly increased the number of seats in the Gardens. In 1934, Ballard became manager of the West Toronto Nationals OHA junior team and hired Leaf captain Hap Day as coach. Learn more about managing a memorial . permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. In return, he was given an option to buy Maple Leaf Gardens shares from Ballard's estate. [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. Many fans consider the Ballard era to be the darkest period in team history, even after winning four Stanley Cups in the 1960s. More recently, as president of Orion Capital, he ventured into mining interests. In fact, for a short while, he stood in for him. 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. 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. 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. 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. She was 87. Mr. Ballard, a big, burly man with bright orange-red hair, was ''an old-fashioned pirate,'' said Conn Smythe, who ran Maple Leaf Gardens while the young Mr. Ballard was learning the business. "He was a lovely person, and I enjoyed his company," says Mr. Finkelstein, a recipient of Mr. Ballard's largesse. 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. 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. 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. 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. [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. [8], At the time Ballard took over, the Leafs' captain was Dave Keon, who had been with the team since 1960. 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. Ballard refused, citing it as a threat to program sales. As owner of the Tiger Cats, Ballard claimed to be losing a million dollars a year. Bassett, who had by this time become chairman of the board, received the support of the board of directors in an 87 vote to fire Smythe and Ballard. However, the Maple Leafs under Ballard were one of the league's most financially successful teams. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. In gratitude, Williams shot a bear during a winter hunt and skinned it for Ballard's office. ''I thought we were both going to get arrested. Follow Brad Wheeler on Twitter: @BWheelerglobeOpens in a new window. Add to your scrapbook. Slapshots: The Best and Worst of 100 Years of Hockey. The family requests donations to the Alzheimer Society in lieu of flowers. Try again later. Ballard. 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. Try again later. Many fans consider the Ballard era to be the darkest period in team history. Over the years, he continued to support his alma mater's Golden Hawks, and in 2009 he entered Laurier's Hall of Fame. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. BEVERLEY JOYCE BALLA February 17, 1929 ! Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. For six years before World War I, Ballard and his family lived in Norristown, Pennsylvania. 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 is buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto with his wife Dorothy. Imlach never returned to work and his contract was allowed to expire.