DETROIT -- William Clay Ford, the last surviving grandchild of automotive pioneer Henry Ford and owner of the Detroit Lions, has died. He was 88. Ford Motor Co. said in a statement Sunday that Ford died of pneumonia at his home in Grosse Pointe, Mich. Ford helped steer the family business for more than five decades. He bought one of his own, the NFL franchise in the Motor City, a half-century ago. He served as an employee and board member of the automaker for more than half of its 100-year history. "My father was a great business leader and humanitarian who dedicated his life to the company and the community," William Clay Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. and Lions vice chairman, said in a statement. "He also was a wonderful family man, a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him, yet he will continue to inspire us all." Ford was regarded as a dignified man by the select few who seemed to know him well. To the masses in Detroit, he was simply the owner of the Lions who struggled to achieve success on the field despite showing his passion for winning by spending money on free agents, coaches, executives and facilities. Fords first full season leading the Lions was in 1964, seven years after the franchise won the NFL title. The lone playoff victory he enjoyed was in 1992. The Lions are the only team to go 0-16 in a season, hitting rock bottom in 2008. After an 11-year drought, the Lions improved enough to make the playoffs in 2011 only to lose a combined 21 games over the next two seasons. "No owner loved his team more than Mr. Ford loved the Lions," Lions President Tom Lewand said in a statement released by the team. "Those of us who had the opportunity to work for Mr. Ford knew of his unyielding passion for his family, the Lions and the city of Detroit. His leadership, integrity, kindness, humility and good humour were matched only by his desire to bring a Super Bowl championship to the Lions and to our community. "Each of us in the organization will continue to relentlessly pursue that goal in his honour." Born into an automotive fortune in 1925 bearing what was already a household name, Ford was 23 when he joined the Ford Motor Co. board of directors in 1948, one year after the death of his grandfather, Henry Ford. He maintained as low a profile as his name would allow, serving on various executive committees and spearheading the design, development and introduction of the Continental Mark II in 1956. He was elected a Ford vice chairman in 1980 and retired with that title in 1989. Ford remained a company director until 2005, later taking the title of director emeritus. "Mr. Ford had a profound impact on Ford Motor Company," Ford CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement. "The company extends its deepest sympathies to the many members of the extended Ford family at this difficult time. While we mourn Mr. Fords death, we also are grateful for his many contributions to the company and the auto industry." He helped institutionalize the practice of professional management atop the company that began with the naming of Philip Caldwell as Ford CEO in 1979 and as Ford chairman in March 1980, without relinquishing the Ford familys control. As a board member, Ford helped bring the company back under his familys control in 2001, when the directors ousted former CEO Jacques Nasser in favour of William Clay Ford Jr. The youngest of Edsel B. Fords four children, Ford Sr. was first elected to the Ford Motor Co. board in June 1948. He rarely spoke publicly but was reflective during the companys centennial year in 2003. At the annual meeting, he told stories about his grandfather teaching him to drive at age 10, and of being taken for his first airplane ride in a Ford Tri-Motor by Charles Lindbergh. "I just want you to know that we have tremendous pride in the Ford name," he told the shareholders more than a decade ago. "We have a spirit of working together, and we have a passion for cars. And we also have a great desire to see the Ford name in the forefront of world transportation." Ford always kept the Lions close to his heart. He knew how much the team meant to people who lived in or grew up in Michigan. "I think sports are a wonderful diversion," Ford told The Detroit News in 1980. "People can relate to sports very easily. Its a quick study." But while each of the Motor Citys other three professional franchises -- the Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers -- won at least one championship, the Lions were synonymous with losing under Ford. He seemed to lead the Lions with a light touch, leaving most decisions up to administrators such as Russ Thomas, Chuck Schmidt, Matt Millen and current general manager Martin Mayhew. Even though the franchise rarely produced a successful product, the stands are usually filled with fans desperate to witness a winner. "Detroit, and Im not blowing smoke at anybody, is probably the greatest fan sports town in the country," Ford told The News in 1980, the year after a 2-14 team set a franchise attendance record. "Theyll support anything." Ford moved the club from Tiger Stadium in Detroit to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1975 before bringing his team back downtown. Ford Field -- a spectacular 65,000-seat, $315 million indoor stadium -- opened in 2002 that, coupled with a state-of-the-art team headquarters in nearby Allen Park, gave the Lions the best facilities money could buy. But a blueprint for consistently winning was elusive. From Fords first season as team owner to his last, the Lions won 310 games, lost 441 and tied 13. Ford was married to the former Martha Parke Firestone, an heiress to the Akron, Ohio, rubber fortune. Her grandfather, Harvey Firestone, was a close friend of Henry Ford. They had three daughters, a son, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be private. Anthony Beauvillier Jersey . -- Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings will be on the sideline as the Packers make their push for a perfect regular season. Mathew Barzal Jersey . The Sochi organizing committee said in Fridays statement that the torch relay reached the North Pole on Oct. 19. Russian Polar explorer Artur Chilingarov, who led the mission, lit a special bowl at the North Pole sign. http://www.authenticnyislanderspro.com/C...landers-jersey/. Bowditch, the 30-year-old Australian seeking his first PGA Tour title, shot a 4-under 68 to reach 12 under at TPC San Antonio. 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A steady 27-20 victory over Atlanta on Sunday lifted Pittsburgh (9-5) within one win of a return to the playoffs following a two-year absence. It was professional, not flashy. Last Roethlisberger checked, its a formula that tends to work this time of year.If you get hot and play your best football at the right time then you are a dangerous football team, Roethlisberger said. I dont know if we are there yet, but we got a win and are happy about it.One that traded eye-popping offensive fireworks for something more responsible. The Steelers never trailed, didnt turn the ball over and made all the significant plays that mattered, from William Gays club-record third interception return for a touchdown to Roethlisbergers aggressive throw to Heath Miller with 2 minutes left that allowed Pittsburgh to run out the clock.In a season of erratic play from week to week, Sunday looked like four quarters of reassurance. No turnovers. No real sense of danger. Pittsburgh was focused, not frenzied. Call it a moment of growth from a group that rebuilt itself on the fly during consecutive 8-8 seasons. The Steelers are far from perfect, but they were closer than theyve been in awhile.Now they have to find a way to do it again next week against Kansas City (8-6) to lock down a post-season spot and set up a rematch with Cincinnati in the regular season finale, with the winner claiming the AFC North title.The job is not done, defensive end Cam Heyward said. We really want to hit all our goals. That means first getting to the pplayoffs and then making some noise.ddddddddddddHow much racket depends largely on if the defence can continue to find a way to play responsibly if not spectacularly. The Falcons piled up 408 yards of total offence, but Gays scintillating 52-yard snag and sprint on the first play of the second quarter gave the Steelers a 13-point cushion that was never seriously threatened.Atlanta had the ball just once with a chance to tie or take the lead and failed to record a single first down. Vince Williams stuffed Harry Douglas for a four-yard gain on third-and-6 with 4:50 remaining. The Falcons punted and Atlanta never regained possession.We played our way, Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones said. We started off good. We played the whole game and we kept the fire. Our coaches put us in good situations. The Falcons made their plays. We stayed with it and we finished.And they did it in a way that served as a perfect symbol for the aggressive mindset preached by coach Mike Tomlin on down. Facing third-and-1 at the Atlanta 39 coming out of the 2-minute warning, the Steelers could have run LeVeon Bell behind the left side of scrimmage and taken their chances.They did, but in an entirely different way. Roethlisberger faked to Bell then rolled to his right. He spotted tight end Heath Miller running 20 yards downfield. The completion effectively ended the competitive portion of the contest and crystallized Tomlins approach that the Steelers, as he loves to say, will not live in our fears.When Pittsburgh doesnt, the Steelers believe they are every bit as dangerous as top teams of the AFC. They have two more chances in the regular season to earn the right to prove it in January. Entering December, the Steelers knew they needed to be perfect to think about the playoffs. Theyre halfway there.We are who we are and we are not a perfect group by any stretch, Tomlin said. 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