(WXXI News & AP) Longtime Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson has died. Wilson, 95, owned the Bills for 54 years. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Wilson died at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. He had been receiving in-home hospice care. Wilson had been in failing health for several years.
According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Wilson was the man responsible for reintroducing pro football to Western New York when, as one of the original owners in the American Football League, he formed the Buffalo Bills in 1959.
During his time as owner of the Bills, Wilson saw two of his teams capture the AFL Championship in the 1960s, and then saw them go to an unprecedented four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s
Wilson also served on the expansion committee for the NFL and was prominent in various labor negotiations.
The Bills on Tuesday afternoon issued this statement:
“I speak for everyone within the Bills organization when I say that we are all suffering a deep and profound sadness with the passing of our Hall of Fame owner Mr. Wilson," said Bills CEO and President Russ Brandon. "We have lost our founder, our mentor, our friend, and this is a very difficult time for us all. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Mary, his daughters Christy and Dee Dee (Edith), his niece Mary and his entire family.
"Mr. Wilson had a relentless passion, a deep love for his Buffalo Bills, the City of Buffalo and the National Football League. He also loved the Bills fans and all of the people of Western New York who embraced the Bills.
"This incredible man was the personification of the Buffalo Bills. His life was grit, determination and resolve. He was bigger than life in many ways and yet he was the everyday man, driving his Ford Taurus to the local store and greeting everyone as they called out “Hi Ralph!” He will be greatly missed by those in our community whose lives he touched.
"Mr. Wilson was a man of true integrity, charisma and a hero in every sense of the word. His service to his country in the South Pacific in World War II is well documented. He was a pioneer in the American Football League. He was instrumental in forging the merger between the AFL and the NFL. Mr. Wilson will long be remembered as a man who was true to his word and did countless acts of kindness and generosity for so many, while never seeking the limelight in doing so.
"More than anything, he wanted to bring a Super Bowl Championship to Western New York. He wanted it for the players, the coaches and the franchise. But mostly he wanted it for the fans. No owner has wanted a title more for these reasons than Mr. Wilson. In the end, he was extremely proud that his Bills are the only team to have played in four consecutive Super Bowls.
"For those of us fortunate to have worked for him, we’ll miss his kindness, his insight, his leadership, but mostly his sense of humor. He possessed the unique ability to turn a negative into a positive.
"Our organization, our league, our community has lost a great man.
"Right now all of us are absorbing this tremendous personal loss. We are performing our day-to-day functions as we normally would. We understand our fans’ curiosity in wanting to know what the future holds for our organization and that will be addressed in the near future. But at this time, we are committed to honoring the life and legacy of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., the man who delivered NFL football to Buffalo.”
Scott Pitoniak is a longtime local sportswriter who has written several books about the Bills. He notes that Wilson had been in ill health recently and has not gone to Buffalo Bills games for a while.
"That was a sure sign that he wasn't feeling well because he loved coming to games, he loved coming to practices, he would come in on Friday afternoons when the Bills had a home game, go to a little restaurant not far from the stadium named after him just down the road in Orchard Park."
There is no word yet what will happen to ownership of the Bills. Pitoniak says Wilson's family members were not interested in taking over the team. Even with new owners, Pitoniak says it's unlikely the team would be going anywhere for the next several years because of agreements put in place in connection with the latest lease that was signed.
Governor Cuomo released this statement on Ralph Wilson's death:
“Today we lost a legendary member of the New York family. Ralph Wilson Jr., the last remaining original team owner of an AFL franchise, member of the NFL Hall of Fame, and founder of the Buffalo Bills, gave us a team that has been the pride of Western New York for the past 54 years. The Bills remain, to this day, an economic engine for the region, generating revenue and providing jobs at a stadium that will bear Mr. Wilson’s name for years to come. From his military service during World War II, to his ownership of the Bills, Mr. Wilson left a legacy of leadership that helped keep the team in Buffalo for more than half a century. His passion for football and dedication to his community epitomized the spirit of the Buffalo Bills and their fans. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends and the entire Bills organization.”
