Family, faith and 'of course, football': Bill Bidwill remembered for love of Cardinals, NFL at funeral

The bow ties were as distinct as the people who wore them. Light pink and red, gingham and striped, decorating the dress shirts of men young and old. Others had small buttons with the initials "WVB" and the symmetrical shape adorning their outfits. Bow ties all around, speckling the large crowd.

On Tuesday, hundreds from around Arizona and across the NFL gathered to celebrate the life of a man who tied them all together.

Bill Bidwill's funeral at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church brought together people from all areas of his life, which spanned 88 years and numerous chapters. The Cardinals team owner, William Vogel Bidwill, was born in Chicago in 1931 and was laid to rest Tuesday in Phoenix, after passing away the Wednesday prior.

The themes of his life were evident in the three men who eulogized him: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Cardinals wide receiver and family friend Larry Fitzgerald, and Bidwill's son and team president, Michael. 

“(It) says a lot about everything that was important to him," Goodell said about the service. Those things were family, faith, and "of course, football."

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When it came to football, it was never just about wins or losses for Bidwill. He did prefer the former, but those big wins were not the focus of anyone's reflections. 

"Never confuse wins or losses on the field with being a winner or loser off the field," Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams said after the service. "... As you can see, as many guys have come back to celebrate his life, the impact that he had, and what brought me to tears is just a reminder of what type of father he was. And not just a father to his immediate family, but his second family, which are the Cardinals."

While it was Bidwill who brought the Cardinals to Arizona, Goodell and other NFL dignitaries pointed out all that he did for the league as a whole. Often, that circled back to his commitment to breaking barriers through diverse hires. 

" 'Mr. B' didn’t just talk about diversity as a distant ideal. He made it so," Goodell said. 

Fitzgerald reiterated how important that was. He also touched on lighter topics. While Bidwill made quiet and important impacts that will remain his legacy, in his face-to-face interactions, he showed a lighter side. 

"He was telling dad jokes well before we knew what dad jokes were," Fitzgerald said. "But what he was serious about was his family."

Over the years, Bidwill deepened relationships with family and friends. He is survived by five children and 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His wife, Nancy, died in 2016, but was remembered throughout the ceremony as well. 

Father Jim Van Dyke, president of Georgetown Preparatory School, a Jesuit boarding school in Maryland that Bidwill attended, presided over the Mass and gave the homily. 

He spoke of coming to visit the Bidwills a few months earlier. He shared that even in failing health, Bidwill had one of the best smirks he's ever seen. He pointed out that he roots for the Cardinals and was especially rooting for them Sunday, in what became their first win of the season.

That surely resonated with the crowd. Approximately 500 people representing the Cardinals organization were in attendance, through coaches, players, staff and alumni. Coach Kliff Kingsbury and General Manager Steve Keim walked in together. Members of the current offensive line sat together.

The team's storied past was also represented. Williams and Roger Werhli were among the Hall of Fame representatives. Frank Sanders, Lyle Sendlein, Martay Jenkins, Bill Lewis, Luis Sharpe, Marcel Shipp, Jamir Miller, Derek Kennard and Lance Smith were all in attendance. 

Former players Roy Green and Adrian Wilson, both in the team's Ring of Honor, were among the pallbearers. In the moments before moving the American flag-draped casket toward the entrance of the church, Wilson rested his hand on the shoulder of one of Bidwill's 10 grandchildren. 

Rod Graves, former general manager, and Ron Wolfley, who played for the team during the move from St. Louis to Arizona, both read from scripture. 

Religion was a cornerstone of Bidwill's life. He put it into practice through quiet service. He was more than happy to help Sister Martha Mary Carpenter, principal of the St. Peter Indian Mission School in Bapchule. He was less than thrilled when The Arizona Republic found out about the charitable endeavor.

"He wasn't mad at you, Sister Martha," Michael Bidwill clarified. "But I think you know this — he called you 'Sister Blabbermouth' for about the next year."

Bill Bidwill also loved history. It was not lost on those who knew him, like Fitzgerald, that the funeral came exactly 86 years to the day after the Cardinals' first win under Bidwill family ownership. Like the team's most recent win, it came in Cincinnati.

While a few friends and colleagues noted that Bidwill would have been embarrassed by the outpouring of support and fond farewells, he would have loved the company. 

"He loved going to NFL meetings, especially when his contemporaries were still alive," Michael Bidwill said. "Until seven or eight years ago, when he was no longer able to travel, he never missed a single big meeting or any of our games dating back to 1960. He continued to watch every single game on television until he died."

Goodell noted the significance of it being the NFL's 100th season, and how Bill Bidwill has been intertwined with the league. Fellow owners John Mara (Giants), Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Dean Spanos (Chargers) and Virginia McCaskey (Bears) were among those at the service. Goodell pointed out that McCaskey and her son, George, came from London, where the Bears played Sunday. Marie Tillman, widow of the late Pat Tillman, was on hand as well. 

Bidwill's place in the history of the league is clear. However, according to Michael's eulogy, some of the history of the team is incorrect. 

"The history books tell you that he made the decision to move the team to Arizona," Michael Bidwill said. "Actually, that day, he told us it was going to be a family decision.

"He knew that 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. It turned out to be a unanimous family decision to relocate to Arizona. 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."

While the readings and the eulogies drew on the deep fraternity of the NFL, the presentation of the gifts took on a different touch. More than a dozen members of Bidwill's in-home healthcare staff, who aided him in the later stages of his life, presented the gifts for the Eucharist. One wore a Cardinals scarf. 

And fashion came up in each eulogy, with all three speakers wearing a bow tie themselves. Fitzgerald, wearing a black bow tie, made a joke about how he doesn't think it is the most fashionable item. But in typical Fitzgerald fashion, he wove that into a larger theme, emphasizing again Bidwill's quiet trendsetting in diversifying his hires. 

"In 2019, it is trendy and fashionable to talk about inclusion, and the importance of gender and racial equality," Fitzgerald began. "But as evidenced by the signature bow tie that so many of us are wearing here today, Mr. B's never had much interest in being trendy or fashionable."

The crowd laughed, as Fitzgerald looked at his own bow tie. But that joke wouldn't bother Bidwill.

"He did it because it was the right thing to do. Make no mistake about it. I'm sure he took his fair share of criticism, both publicly and privately for doing what his heart told him was right," Fitzgerald said. "But that was the type of man Mr. B was.

"He lived by his heart, not by the trend of today." 

Kent Somers contributed to this report.

Reach the reporter at kfitzgeral@gannett.com or 480-356-6407. Follow her on Twitter @kfitz134.

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