"He had an amazing ability to put away bowls and bowls of food," Mr. Finkelstein recounts. Ballard was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as Edwin Harold Ballard. 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. 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. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He was 86 years old and had spent most of the last two years in and out of hospitals because of diabetes-related heart problems. Ballard was made business manager. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. - Margaret Mae Hernandez, 85, of Dearborn, Missouri, passed away Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at her home. Review. He was a lifetime resident of Gary and attended Wirt High School. 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. '', 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.''. They married in 1957 and had two children before he filed for divorce. A celebration of life is planned for the Granite Club when pandemic restrictions are lifted. 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.". "Lanny McDonald trade has Sittler in tears," Jim Kernaghan. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Soon after taking over as majority owner, he forced out several longtime front-office personnel and replaced them with his own men. Obituary James Harold Ballard, of Sharpsburg, passed away Wednesday, December 23, 2020. The singer was nearing 40 years old and working at The Toronto Sun when he embarked on a performing career. Family and friends may call at the Amos Carvelli Funeral Home, 201 Edison Street, Nutter Fort on Sunday from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, where funeral services will be held on Monday, March 6, 2023 at 11:00 am. Make a life-giving gesture The tour marked the end of Ballard's career as a full-time hockey coach. U.S. Born in Drain, Ore., she was a visitor to Spring Hill. Review. About a month later, Ballard and two friends from the Yacht club were hurled from a boat into a frigid Lake Ontario. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Failed to report flower. The family requests donations to the Alzheimer Society in lieu of flowers. Yolanda was born Jan. 3, 1933 in Fort William, Ont. Echovita is an archive of public obituaries and death notices to keep you informed about people who have passed away in your. He first gained attention in the late 1960s on the football gridiron of his alma mater, Waterloo Lutheran (now Wilfrid Laurier University). 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. 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. As a young man, he loved working with horses on his aunt and uncles farm. In regard to spotlights, Mr. Ballard didn't seek them himself. Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. 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. [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. A love so deep only silence is fit to describ In August, just weeks before the series began, Ballard was convicted on 47 of the charges. cemeteries found in Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. His last months were filled with court fights involving his children. In 1955, she met Bill MacMillan, the son of a noted magistrate. Make sure that the file is a photo. 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. 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. Yolanda was not invited to Ballard's funeral, nor to the reading of his will. His father had been in the Coast Guard at the time. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. He wasn't just talk. 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. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Mary Heuring (2/21/23) 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. CPI had an exclusive arrangement with the arena, which left most rival promoters out in the cold. As it turns out, he didn't win the brawl for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is 1 of 7 names to be on both the Stanley Cup and Grey Cup. Gord Stellick, the Leafs general manager in 1988-89 and Bobs brother, recalled that she just appeared at the Gardens one day (holding a cake, according to some accounts, and refusing to leave until he spoke to her). In 1985-86, they finished with a .356 winning percentage, the fourth-worst record in the league and fourth worst in franchise history. Following the 1930 racing season, the Yacht Club sponsored a senior team in the Ontario Hockey Association called the Toronto National Sea Fleas. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. 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. New York, U.S., State Census, 1905. Review. William. During the hockey off-season in 1961, Ballard became founding president of the four-team Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League, which operated in Toronto, Hamilton, and Montreal. 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. After his parole, he stated that prison life was like staying in a motel, with colour television, golf, and steak dinners. 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 . 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 West, CFL teams had come under significant pressure resulting from the introduction of WHA franchises in the four largest Western markets, therefore Western Football Conference teams were generally supportive of Ballard's efforts to become a CFL owner. Harold was born and reared in Canada. All "Maple Leaf forever? Many fans consider the Ballard era to be the darkest period in team history. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. You saw the seeds of a great promoter. He told friends that on a visit to the Soviet Union he had put a Maple Leaf sticker on Lenin's tomb. Keon never forgave Ballard for how he had been treated, and it was more than 20 years before he was reconciled with the Leafs. 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. He was 58. As an aide to the Canadian Olympic hockey team in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1928, he carried the national flag in the opening ceremonies. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Bill Ballard, right, with singer Tom Cochrane and music publicist James Monaco at the opening of the musical Tommy in Toronto in 1995. 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. Burke Mortuary - Newton-Conover Within three years under the new owners, profits at the Gardens had tripled to just under $1 million. Weve updated the security on the site. Ballard was pulled from the water unconscious, but one of his friends died. [2] Just after the advent of colour television in Canada, the Maple Leafs installed a new lighting system. 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. According to Globe columnist Dick Beddoes, the young Mr. Ballard played a "static but well-meaning game" as an undersized lineman. None of the three was wearing a life jacket. 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. 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 Hockey Night in Canadas president, Ted Hough, balked at Ballard's demands just before a broadcast, Ballard grabbed a fireman's ax and threatened to cut the TV cable unless Hough agreed to pay. 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. Under coach Harry Watson, the team won the Allan Cup in 1932. "Peace is wonderful, but ", Frank Orr, Cole, Stephen. I was close with (Harold) and he figured out what she was, said Gord Stellick. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Dr. Henry Harold Ballard, age 79, of Grand Prairie, Texas passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Hough relented, and the broadcast went on as scheduled. 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. Create an Obituary. Mr. Ballard married a minister's daughter, Dorothy Higgs, who died in 1969. "He fought for the underdog," Mr. McDermott says. He trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in fine arts. Along with his wife Noreen (nee Meahan . 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). He trained at OCAD in fine arts. ''If there's gold on that ship, it doesn't matter what flag you fly,'' Mr. Smythe said. 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. Drag images here or select from your computer for Harold Ballard memorial. Ballard was a very hands-on owner who quickly became known for being irascible and cantankerous. Ballard is buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto with his wife Dorothy. Dave "Tiger" Williams who played with the Leafs from 1973 to 1980 had a close relationship with Ballard. Investigators said Ballard allegedly pulled out a firearm; shots were fired, and the 42-year-old died at the scene. They would not post a winning record again in Ballard's lifetime, going a franchise-record 13 consecutive seasons without a winning record. Edwin Harold Ballard was born on July 30, 1903, the only child of Sidney Eustace Ballard and the former Mary Garner. rights reserved. Neilson did return, without the paper bag. To make room for more seats, Ballard removed a large portrait of Queen Elizabeth II from the Gardens. The tournament would become known as the Summit Series. Smythe died just six weeks later. 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. Ballard left his personal belongings to his children and grandchildren. Harold Ballard Hurt Obituary Remember Harold Ballard Hurt. He floated the idea of bringing in the NHL's California Golden Seals into the Toronto area and much later was a failed bidder for the expansion NBA Raptors.). You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. A visitation will be held on Friday, August 7, from 5-7 pm, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation, 833 S. Marschall Road, Shakopee. Or, as The Globe and Mail's Stephen Brunt once put it, "a silver-spoon kid with survival instincts." Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? There was a problem getting your location. ). This account has been disabled. The McDonald trade sent the Leafs into a downward spiral. However, by the time the Toros played their first game at the Gardens, Ballard had been released from prison. 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. Shortly after taking control of the Leafs, Ballard stood trial on 49 counts of fraud, theft and tax evasion involving $205,000. "His own boat was called Midnight Mischief, and it was aptly named," says John McDermott, the successful Scottish-Canadian tenor. However, many players were unwilling to sign with Toronto in any event because of Ballard's reputation. 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. Obituaries - for Lincolnton Lincoln County, Cherryville, Stanley, Denver, Maiden . He had been blessed with gusto, dollars and an affable spirit, and he squandered none of it. At a game in the Philadelphia Spectrum in the late 1970's, Mr. Ballard defended his friend, a hockey legend named King Clancy, when Mr. Clancy, a former player and N.H.L. 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. Try again. 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. 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 . 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. When asked about it, Ballard replied "She doesn't pay me, I pay her. "He would eat enough fried calamari for four people, and then order something else.". Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. 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. ''I just booted her out,'' Ballard told Dick Beddoes, the author of the biography ''Pal Hal.'' There was an error deleting this problem. Family members linked to this person will appear here. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. 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. JEAN BALLARD OBITUARY. 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. 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. Canada, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current. His father was the foreman of a machinery company and his mother took in boarders. 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. [11] Gregory learned of the news when he received a call from an NHL executive offering him the directorship of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, unbeknownst to him that Ballard had fired him.[11]. Angry teammates trashed their dressing room in response. 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. He tried to micromanage the team, interfering with coaches and players. On the second tour, in 1965, Ballard sold tickets for two shows, even though the agreement had been for only one. Please. Ballard sold the team to businessman David Braley on February 24, 1989. That triggered a mutiny among some of the team's top players, who resigned from the squad in November. Mr. McDermott was a pet project of Mr. Ballard's. Ballard was reappointed executive vice president. Veteran. As a member of the National Yacht Club, Ballard became an avid racer of Sea Fleas, small outboard hydroplanes. Learn . Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Face masks are required. He would coach one more game, for the senior Marlies, during the 1950 Allan Cup final, after head coach Joe Primeau's father died. Showcase your loved one's life story with a featured obituary. "If you can call a Chevrolet a Chev, why can't you call a Japanese a Jap?" 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. February 28, 1945 - October 12, 2021. When his cantankerous father returned from prison, Mr. Ballard was demoted, though he stayed on the board and kept his large chunk of common stock in the company. And I had Billy on my side.". [2] Shelvie "Jeannie" Workman Ballard, 85, of Newton, passed away on Friday, January 6, 2023 at Carolina Caring in Newton.