University of Minnesota football legend and former Duluth bank executive William "Billy" Bye died in a Crow Wing County water accident Friday afternoon, a week shy of his 82nd birthday.
Bye was boating on Bay Lake with his wife, Sally, and close friends when their pontoon boat became entangled in weeds according to an Associated Press report. Bye entered the water to untangle them but
wasn't able to pull himself into the boat when he finished. Attempts to assist him with rope and life preservers were unsuccessful.
Bye owned a cabin on Bay Lake, east of Brainerd. He was pronounced dead at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby.
Bye played halfback for the Gophers from 1946 until 1950, creating a legacy with other football greats Bud Grant, Jim Malosky, Verne Gagne, Clayton Tonnemaker and Leo Nomellini. At games the crowds would cheer, "Bye, Bye, Billy Bye!"
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Bye played pro football for three years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League.
After football, Bye worked as business manager for the Minnesota Vikings and in 1966 was appointed the director of public relations for Northwestern Bank of Commerce in Duluth. Bye later worked as a broker for Piper, Jaffray and Hopwood Inc.
Bye was active in Duluth, speaking at public events and serving on the Duluth School Board starting in 1969.
His neighbor, Janet Bye, remembers him fondly. The Bye families, who shared a last name but were not related, lived across the street.
"I haven't seen him for a little while, but he was great fun," Janet Bye said. "Great personality -- lots of personality."
Local businessman Robert Mars, owner of WP&RS Mars Co., came to know Bye when their children were in high school together.
"He was very modest; wouldn't mention his football career unless you asked him about it," Mars said. "His death is a tragedy."
