William “Roy” Jennings died at age 79

Former Calgary Stampeder president William “Roy” Jennings has died at the age 79.

The Stampeders made the announcement Tuesday.

Jennings, a Calgary native, was team president in 1975 and 1976 and also served on the board for directors for several years.

“Roy contributed so much to Calgary and he truly had a passion for the club,” said Stampeder executive vice-president Stan Schwartz in a statement. “He exemplified the spirit of volunteerism when the team was community-owned.”

Jennings was named to the Stampeders' Wall of Fame as a builder in 2001.

He was part of the management team that hired Jack Gotta as head coach and general manager in 1977 after the team had missed the playoffs for six straight seasons. The Stamps went 9-4-2 under Gotta in 1978 and reached the West final.

Jennings was a also former manager of Chinook Centre, a prominent Calgary shopping mall.

He is survived wife Amy, sons Gary and Bill, daughters Lynn and Karen, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Calgary. [Source: theglobeandmail.com]