The BC Lions Football Club is very saddened to announce that our owner and champion David Braley passed away peacefully this morning at his home in Burlington, Ontario.
“We share this news with the heaviest of hearts. David has been a proud and fiercely loyal owner of our team, a champion of the Canadian Football League, and a leader for whom his love of our game and our country went hand in hand and spanned decades. We share our deepest condolences with his family, friends and admirers,” said Rick LeLacheur, President of the BC Lions Football Club.
“One of his final acts of devotion to Canadian football was a clear expression of his desire that the stability of our club be maintained through a smooth transition following his passing. We will work closely with David’s estate to follow that plan.”
Also owner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1989 to 1990 and the Toronto Argonauts from 2010 to 2015, Braley served as an Interim Commissioner of the CFL and Chair of its Board of Governors. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Braley was a highly successful entrepreneur with a genius for business and a generous philanthropist who made enormous contributions in the arenas of, i health, research and sport, including amateur football. Passionate about politics and public service, he served his country as a Senator from 2010 to 2013. Last year, he was named an officer of the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest honours.
“We have lost our greatest champion. All of us associated with the Lions have personally seen, time and time again, David’s selfless commitment to our club and our fans,” LeLacheur.
“But his example and inspiration, along with the direction he provided us all as his health failed, fuels our confidence in the Lions future. The BC Lions will continue to work hard to honour his memory by being the best we can be on the field, in the boardroom and in the community.”
Full background on the life and career of Mr. Braley can be found HERE.
