Bill Bidwill obit

Arizona Cardinals Owner Bill Bidwill Dies at Age 88

He was not on the list.

The Arizona Cardinals announced that team owner Bill Bidwill, 88, died Wednesday.

"Our dad passed away today the same way he lived his life: peacefully, with grace, dignity and surrounded by family and loved ones," team president Michael Bidwill said in a statement. "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."

Charles Bidwill Sr. purchased the Chicago Cardinals in 1932 for $50,000. Upon his death in 1947, control of the franchise transferred to his wife Violet. Bidwill and his brother, Charles Jr., became the owners when their mother died in 1962.

Bidwill gave up day-to-day operations to Michael in 2007, when Michael became the team president. Under Bill’s ownership, the Cardinals toiled in mediocrity. They had five winning seasons from 1972 until Ken Whisenhunt was hired as head coach in 2007, Michael’s first year in charge. The Cardinals went to their first and only Super Bowl the next season. Despite a lack of success on the field, Bidwill was ahead of the curve with diversity in the NFL.

He hired the first black female executive in league history in Adele Harris, the NFL’s first black contract negotiator in Bob Wallace and the league’s first head coach-general manager tandem in Dennis Green and Rod Graves.

Bill bought out his brother's share of the Cardinals in 1972 for $6.5 million. By that point, the team had already moved from Chicago to St. Louis. Bidwill then oversaw the Cardinals' relocation to Phoenix, Arizona, in January 1988.

Under Bidwill's ownership, the Cardinals generally struggled on the field, making four playoff appearances between 1972 and 2006. Sports Illustrated's Jenny Vrentas wrote how the team's fortunes turned around when Michael started running the day-to-day operations in 2007.

Since then, the Cardinals have gone to the postseason four times, including a run to Super Bowl XLIII during the 2008 season.

Among those who attended his funeral were Gov. Doug Ducey, New York Giants President John Mara, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray.

Bidwill’s casket, traditionally draped in the American flag, was carried by four grandsons, Thomas and William V. Bidwill III, Charles and James Pike; Mike Bush, who served as Bidwill’s game-day security assistant; Rick Knight, the former Cardinals vice-president of security; and Cardinals Ring of Honor members Roy Green and Adrian Wilson.

He was eulogized by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Bidwill’s son, Cardinals President Michael Bidwill. Goodell said he was happy to see the massive turnout but wasn’t surprised because of Bidwill’s positive influence on the community and the NFL.

Bill Bidwill’s father, Charles, bought the Chicago Cardinals in 1932 and Bill was associated with the team for eight decades. He started as a ball boy as a child and went to work for the team full time in 1960 — the Cardinals’ first season in St. Louis — after a stint in the Navy. He became owner in 1972; the team moved to Arizona in 1988.

Some of the other notable players, coaches and managers who worked for Bidwell include Neil Lomax, Ottis Anderson, Jim Hart, Dan Dierdorf, Roger Wehrli, Tom Banks,

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