Shortly after taking control of the Leafs, Ballard stood trial on 49 counts of fraud, theft and tax evasion involving $205,000. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Ballard to Ottawa writer Earl McRae in the 1980s. Investigators said Ballard allegedly pulled out a firearm; shots were fired, and the 42-year-old died at the scene. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Make a life-giving gesture 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. Weve both been to jail.. (His father had made the team's skates.) Ballard's opposition to European players was so virulent that a Leafs scout used Ballard's time in jail to sign Brje Salming, one of the NHL's first great European players. Hockey Hall of Fame Team Owner. 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). Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. ''I thought we were both going to get arrested. There was a problem getting your location. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. 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.). 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. David Blaine Steele, born in Titusville, PA on February 25, 1963, passed away February 24, 2023 one day before his 60th birthday. Two months later, he was sentenced to nine years in a federal penitentiary. U.S. About a month later, Ballard and two friends from the Yacht club were hurled from a boat into a frigid Lake Ontario. Ballard became a fan of speed skating and would attend skating events and hockey games, helping to promote the Ballard skates. 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. Pennants proclaiming National Hockey League championships, Stanley Cup victories and other triumphs used to hang from the rafters of Maple Leaf Gardens. Ballard booked The Beatles on each of their three North American tours from 19641966. 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. This led to renewed criticism of Ballard's unwillingness to spend what it took to get the Leafs to the next level. '', 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.''. Obituary. Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. William Owen Sydney Ballard (November 10, 1946 - March 14, 2014) was a businessman and concert promoter. Burke Mortuary of Maiden Inc. On the personal side, Mr. Ballard was known as a lover of good friends and high times. HAROLD G BALLARD. Burial Date: March 6, 2023. Harold Douglas Buchholz passed away on October 12, 2021 at his home on Heart Mountain. Slapshots: The Best and Worst of 100 Years of Hockey. Hough relented, and the broadcast went on as scheduled. Verify and try again. He could not get enough of his grandma's cooking. Davidson had served in the Leafs organization for almost 40 years in various capacities. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. 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. Yolanda was obviously a die-hard Toronto Maple Leaf fan to her death, and never missed the home opener., Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. 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. 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. There is a problem with your email/password. 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. Its only a pellet gun, but its lifelike. After being fined, he backed down and put the names in the opposite colours. Harold Edwin Ballard (born Edwin Harold Ballard, July 30, 1903 April 11, 1990) was a Canadian businessman and sportsman. For example, when the roof leaked, he did little more than order plastic sheets to catch the rainwater. Smythe died just six weeks later. He first gained attention in the late 1960s on the football gridiron of his alma mater, Waterloo Lutheran (now Wilfrid Laurier University). 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. [7], When the NHL finally did take in four WHA teams after the 197879 season, Ballard refused to support the deal. Box 716 Maiden, NC 28650. The Leafs, historically one of hockey's best franchises, gradually became one of its worst teams through the 1980's. Two days later, Ballard asked Neilson to return, but with a paper bag over his head so as to conceal his identity. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. [29], Despite his reputation, Ballard was well known for his charitable activities, and even leased out MLG for many functions. 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. In 1944, Ballard formed Harold E. Ballard Ltd., the personal holding company he would later use to purchase shares in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. William. I was close with (Harold) and he figured out what she was, said Gord Stellick. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. They nearly duplicated that dubious achievement in 198788. He also was the owner of the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League (1978-89), which won the 1986 Grey Cup. His last months were filled with court fights involving his children. 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. You saw the seeds of a great promoter. More recently, as president of Orion Capital, he ventured into mining interests. 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. At the time he was studying law, while she worked as a title searcher for a Toronto firm. He is survived by three children: William, Harold Jr. and Mary. 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. 3 talking about this. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. All told, the Leafs only had six winning seasons in Ballard's 18-plus seasons as majority owner, and never finished higher than third in their division in any format. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Mr. McDermott, for one, remembers him differently. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 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 87. SEARCH. In gratitude, Williams shot a bear during a winter hunt and skinned it for Ballard's office. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10477/harold-ballard. 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. "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.". After his parole, he stated that prison life was like staying in a motel, with colour television, golf, and steak dinners. I was afraid. Harold was born and reared in Canada. He later reversed the names and referred to himself as Harold E. Ballard. Obituaries - for Lincolnton Lincoln County, Cherryville, Stanley, Denver, Maiden . In 1965, he sold tickets for two Beatles concerts on the same day, although the contract called for only one. Their .300 winning percentage was the second-worst in franchise history. 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. 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. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. In November 1961, Conn Smythe sold most of his shares in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. to a consortium of his son Stafford, Toronto Telegram owner John Bassett, and Ballard. Nevertheless, they still qualified for the playoffs under the playoff format in use at the time. referee, angered a fan by accidentally knocking over the man's beer. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. In 1973, the WHA moved the Ottawa Nationals to Toronto as the Toronto Toros. 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. Search above to list available cemeteries. 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. After losing the battle to gain control of Maple Leaf Gardens, Mr. Ballard got out of the concert promotion business. 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. Learn more about managing a memorial . In Toronto, one of the most British of Canadian cities, with downtown streets named ''King'' and ''Queen,'' a large picture of Queen Elizabeth used to hang in Maple Leaf Gardens. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. When an outraged Bassett complained, Ballard demanded $3,500 for use of the lights. She would often hang around the team office until late at night. Harold Ballard in California We found 17 records for Harold Ballard in North Highlands, Inglewood and 14 other cities in California. '', See the article in its original context from. As owner of the Tiger Cats, Ballard claimed to be losing a million dollars a year. Harold met the love of his life, Anne Louise Dufek during his junior year. At age 54, Ballard was the oldest member of the group, which were otherwise all in their 30s and 40s. 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 tour marked the end of Ballard's career as a full-time hockey coach. Until he acquired control of the team and Maple Leaf Gardens in 1972, Mr. Ballard was little known outside hockey circles. 00:02:34 Harold Ballard is very self-deprecating, but that doesn't mean he isn't astute or insightful. Diamond Dreams: 20 Years of Blue Jays Baseball, Stephen Brunt, p.47, Penguin Books, Date-by-date story of Gardens takeover fight,", Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League, Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission, 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, "Harold Ballard: Hockey's Miscreant Owner", "37 Year Cup Drought: The Legacy of Harold Ballard", "Harold Ballard, 86, Feisty Owner of Toronto Maple Leafs, Is Dead", CBC Digital Archives Harold Ballard Convicted of Fraud, Hockey Trade Rumors NHL Rumors from around the league 37 Year Cup Drought The Legacy of Harold Ballard, CBC Digital Archives Canada's Favourite BROAD-caster, "Black Aces: The Gutter Bin Presents More Classic Quotes", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harold_Ballard&oldid=1140958443, Canada men's national ice hockey team coaches, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In August 1979, to make room for private boxes, he had. One drunken, hollering student jumped into their front seat looking for a ride, scaring the kids in the back seat. She was born June 22, 1937, in Versailles, Missouri, daughter of the late Juanita . to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about GREAT NEWS! Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. Phone: (828) 428-2460 Fax: (828) 428-4154 1101 East Maiden Road, P.O. Though Imlach was gone, Sittler's relationship with the Leafs worsened again in the 198182 season and he was traded that year to the Philadelphia Flyers. 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. 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. [28] However, in the end, it was a partnership of the Labatt Brewing Company, Howard Webster, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) that brought baseball to Toronto, as they were awarded an expansion team in the American League for $7 million that became the Toronto Blue Jays, who began play in 1977. BROWN, NELLIE G., 95, of Eugene, Ore., died Thursday (Dec. 29, 1994) at HCA Oak Hill Hospital. It trained me to work for my dad.". Angered that the WHA was literally in his backyard, the elder Ballard made the Toros' lease terms as onerous as possible. Failed to remove flower. 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. 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. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. By the time Yolanda walked into Harolds life in 1983, she had done jail time for perjury and been married once to a lawyer, then divorced. He negotiated lucrative deals to place advertising throughout the building, and greatly increased the number of seats in the Gardens. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Under coach Harry Watson, the team won the Allan Cup in 1932. 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. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? All Ballard sold the team to businessman David Braley on February 24, 1989. His father was Toronto Maple Leafs hockey mogul Harold Ballard. Entombment will be in the Floral Hills Memorial Gardens. Harold Vance Delk Jr., age 78, a resident of Bertrand, died Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at the Charleston Manor. He competed in several regattas, and won the Toronto-Oakville marathon in 1929. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. These demands made it financially impossible for the Toros to survive in Toronto, and after the 1975-76 season they moved to Birmingham, Alabama. Concert Productions International would become a hugely profitable enterprise and a game-changing innovator in full-service touring in North America. [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. However, many players were unwilling to sign with Toronto in any event because of Ballard's reputation. 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. CPI had an exclusive arrangement with the arena, which left most rival promoters out in the cold. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Harold Ballard and Yolanda Ballard took out a marriage license last January in the Cayman Islands. 1910 United States Federal Census. He was "Billy" to his friends, and he had many of those. On the night of the singer's first major concert at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, the plan was to put the spotlight on Mr. McDermott's father in the audience during the show. New York, U.S., State Census, 1905. Review. Angry teammates trashed their dressing room in response. Learn . Keon was forced to move to the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints. 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.". All results for Harrold Ballard Edit SearchNew SearchJump to Filters To get better results, add more information such as Birth Info, Death Info and Locationeven a guess will help. 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 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. Although she and Harold never married, Yolanda had her name legally changed. One particular weekend, he said, Michigan beat rival Michigan State and the local students were going wild, which stalled traffic.