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. Soccer Jerseys . On Tuesday, the star questioned whether that was still the case. Speaking to reporters at a charity event, Johnson said: "I just kind of wonder sometimes: Is this still the place for me?" Johnsons comments came after he was asked why he recently skipped a voluntary minicamp. China Jerseys . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics. https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/. 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Leuer scored 16 points and grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds Monday night to help the short-handed Grizzlies build an early lead and hold on to defeat the Orlando Magic 94-85. "Weve had a lot of guys go down," Leuer said. "It obviously makes it tough, but it opens up other opportunities for guys to come in and contribute." Memphis reserves outscored their Orlando counterparts 38-4, helping send the Magic to their sixth straight loss. The Grizzlies bench players are getting more playing time as injuries to four key players left only nine available against Orlando. Memphis centre Marc Gasol is out indefinitely with a knee injury, while Ed Davis (ankle) and Tony Allen (hip) also sat out. Earlier in the day, the Grizzlies announced guard/forward Quincy Pondexter will miss significant time, possibly the rest of the season, with a right foot stress fracture. "Guys are stepping up. Thats what we need. We need everybody now," said Memphis forward Zach Randolph, who led the Grizzlies with 19 points and matched Leuers 12 boards, part of Memphis 52-35 rebounding advantage. Mike Conley had 13 points for Memphis and Jerryd Bayless finished with 11 points, including a late 3-pointer to preserve the win and end a two-game slide. Conley also had seven assists. The Magic were missing centre Nikola Vucevic, their leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, who missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left ankle. "The good thing is these bumps are coming early as far as tough losses and guys not being healthy," said Magic centre Glen Davis, who had 16 points and nine rebounds. "If we can get guys healthy and learn to stay together, we can overcome these obstacles." Andrew Nicholson and Jameer Nelson led the Magic with 19 points apiece. Nicholson also grabbed 11 rebounds while hhitting 8 of 12 from the field.dddddddddddd Arron Afflalo scored 17 points and Victor Oladipo added 10. Jason Maxiell was Orlandos sole reserve to score, getting four points. Memphis, which led by as many as 23 in the game, held a 14-point lead with just over 7 minutes left, but had to withstand a final push from the Magic. "There is always a point in the game that you can give in, or you can choose to rally around each other and try to fight," Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn said. "We put a group out on the floor that gave us a chance to do that. They gave us a chance to win." The short bench didnt seem to faze Memphis in the first half. The Grizzlies used 19 unanswered points spanning the first and second quarters to take a 51-30 lead at the break. While Memphis was going on its 19-0 run, the Magic went almost 7 minutes without scoring. Nicholson did his best to pull the Magic back into the game, scoring 13 points in the third. That allowed Orlando to pull within 10 before Jamaal Franklins 3-pointer at the horn gave Memphis a 73-60 lead entering the final quarter. But the Magic continued to push behind Afflalo, whose seven early points in the final frame included a pair of free throws with 4:19 left to get Orlando within 85-78. The run eventually would reach 12-2, and the Magic were within 87-83. But Randolph scored the next three points, and the Grizzlies weathered the rally for only their second win in the last seven home games. "Its tough. Its real tough," Randolph said of the injuries. "Weve got to just come out and play. Everyone has to step up like theyve been doing." NOTES: Franklin had a career-high eight points. ... The Grizzlies had their string of eight consecutive games with eight different leading scorers end. ... Memphis G Nick Calathes had a career-high eight assists. ... Leuers previous best in rebounds was nine on two occasions, including earlier this month against Phoenix. ... Orlando is 1-10 on the road this season. ' ' '