Late Arizona Cardinals Owner Bill Bidwell Laid To Rest In Phoenix

PHOENIX ­– The Arizona Cardinals' late owner Bill Bidwell was laid to rest Tuesday, Oct. 8, after passing on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Bidwell’s trademark bowtie fashion was seen far and wide among his funeral's guests at Phoenix’s St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, as were about 500 individuals associated with the Cardinals team, azcentral.com reported.

William Vogel Bidwell, a Chicago native born in 1931, was a strong family man, a man of faith and a fan of football, according to eulogies given by Michael Bidwell, Bill’s son and Cardinals president; family friend and Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald; and Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner. Bill Bidwell also had a sense of humor, according to Fitzgerald. “He was telling dad jokes long before we knew what dad jokes were. But one thing he was serious about was his family,” the Cardinals player detailed.

Michael Bidwell agreed, confiding that while historical records say that his father decided to relocate the Cardinals from St. Louis to Arizona, Bill Bidwell had actually told his family that the matter would be a family decision. “He knew 'what if' we would all be leaving friends behind and that it was daunting to think about moving to a new city and starting over. He didn’t want to move us unless we wanted to move,” Michael Bidwell said at the funeral.

The family decided unanimously in favor of the move to Arizona, and the rest was indeed history, Michael Bidwell continued. “He told us all we’re not looking back. He trusted us to keep it a secret, which we did. Three weeks later, he made the announcement.”

Bill Bidwell’s wife, Nancy, passed in 2016 but was mentioned and remembered during the funeral too. The Bidwells are survived by five children, 10 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

Read the full story at azcentral.com.