Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill dies at 88
TEMPE, Ariz. (FOX 10/AP) - William V. Bidwill, who owned the NFL’s Cardinals franchise in three cities, has died. He was 88.
The team announced that Bidwill passed away Wednesday. A cause of death wasn’t immediately given.
“Our dad passed away today the same way he lived his life: peacefully, with grace, dignity and surrounded by family and loved ones,” said Cardinals President Michael Bidwill. “We are overwhelmed by the support our family has received, not only now but throughout the latest chapter of his life. We are especially grateful to the nurses, doctors and other caregivers whose endless kindness and compassion in recent years have made our dad’s life so meaningful. Above all else, we will remember him as a man devoted to the three central pillars of his life – his immense faith, his love for his family and his life-long passion for the Cardinals and the sport of football.”
Reviled by fans at times for what they perceived to be his penny-pinching ways, privately Bidwill was an extremely charitable man, distributing money to many local causes, usually done quietly with no publicity. Charitable contributions also were made through the Cardinals Foundation, formed shortly after the franchise moved from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988. It previously had been located in Chicago.
Bidwill ignored critics as the team went a half-century without a playoff victory before making it as a wild card team in 1998 and upsetting the Cowboys in Dallas.
The bowtie-wearing Bidwill headed a family operation that dated to 1932, when his father Charles purchased the Chicago Cardinals, reportedly for $50,000. Young Bidwill was a ballboy for the 1947 team that won the franchise's lone NFL championship.
Bidwill was born on July 31, 1931 in Chicago and is survived by his five children, 10 grandchildren and great-grandchild.
The Associated Press contributed to this report