At least on paper, Martha Ford, wife of the late William Clay Ford Sr., will assume ownership of the Detroit Lions, as has long been planned.
“Pursuant to long-established succession plans, Mr. Ford’s controlling interest in the Lions passes to Mrs. Martha Ford,” said a statement from the team. “She and her four children will continue to be involved in the ownership of the franchise, as they have during Mr. Ford’s tenure.”
Vice Chairman Bill Ford Jr. is expected to be the family member most actively involved in overseeing team business, something he had been doing the past few years as his father’s health declined, Chris McCosky reports in the Detroit News.
The day to day operations will continue to be run by President Tom Lewand and General Manager Martin Mayhew.
William Clay Ford married Martha Parke Firestone, the granddaughter of Harvey Firestone, the tire magnate, on June 21, 1947. In recent years, she has lived quietly with her husband in their Grosse Pointe Shores lakefront home.
Ford Sr., who died on Sunday at the age of 88, had owned the team for 50 years. According to Forbes Magazine, Ford was the 371st richest person in the United States in 2013, with an approximate net worth of $1.4 billion. He was the largest stockholder in Ford Motor Co.
