As summer and 2007 comes to an end, Nikki and I would like to thank each of you for your continued support of the Foundation. This year has been of great success and happiness along with tragic loss as one of our dearest friends, Bill Walsh, lost his battle with leukemia.
Death of a Legend and a Friend
Most of you know Bill Walsh as the man our father hired to lead the woeful San Francisco 49ers that were 2-14 the season prior to his arrival to three Super Bowl titles in the 1980~Rs. We are fond of these on-field accomplishments as well, but they are only part of his story.
Bill was a man of compassion who truly cared for his players and assistant coaches. Through his efforts, many of his assistants went on to become head coaches; most of them implementing the same offensive system Bill perfected with the 49ers. Additionally, Bill had a legacy of encouraging NFL teams to hire more minority coaches, especially African Americans. With the 49ers, Bill established a program that brought in black former players at a low-level coaching position, enabling them to sharpen their coaching skills.
We had the privilege of knowing Bill for over 25 years and the space in this newsletter cannot capture everything and everyone he touched during his journey with us; however, one way to understand his influence was to attend the memorial services that were held for him. Seeing the people from outside the world of football who attended these services is a testament to the kind of man Bill was a true friend.
We will all miss Bill and the passion he brought to football and life!
Best regards,
Lisa DeBartolo
Executive Vice President
DeBartolo Holdings, LLC |
Nikki DeBartolo Heldfond
Executive Vice President
DeBartolo Holdings, LLC |
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