Bob Harlan remembered as decent man who served the Packers, Green Bay
· Yahoo Sports
Bob Harlan was commended to the Lord the way he would have wanted, surrounded by the Harlan family, the Green Bay Packers family, friends – anyone who met Harlan would come away believing they were in that last category.
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A Mass of Christian burial was held March23 at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay for Harlan, 89, who died March 5 in Green Bay. In addition to his family – wife Madeline, to whom he was married nearly 67 years, their three sons and their sons' families – the service was attended by Green Bay's three most recent mayors, former general manager Ron Wolf, former Packers president Mark Murphy, current president Ed Policy, former coach Mike McCarthy, other current and former Packers employees and friends from throughout the community.
Services were initially scheduled for March 16, but a record-setting snow storm caused a weeklong delay, which some speculated may have resulted in fewer dignitaries from the NFL or other teams attending. No matter.
Oldest son, Kevin Harlan, a longtime, award-winning sports broadcaster, said was his dad was pleased with his long life and was ready to go when the time came.
Harlan was a native of Des Moines, Iowa, and graduate of Marquette University, where he worked in the sports information department for six years after graduation. From there he joined the St. Louis Cardinals and was with the team for six years, including two World Series appearances.
He joined the Green Bay Packers in 1971 as an assistant general manager responsible for negotiating player contracts. Harlan was elected team president in 1989, after which he hired Ron Wolf as general manager and gave him final say in football operations. Wolf proceeded to hire coach Mike Holmgren, trade for quarterback Brett Favre and sign free agent defensive end Reggie White. The result was two Super Bowl appearances, with one win, and 33 years as one of the most successful teams in football. Harlan might have been the only professional sports executive with both World Series and Super Bowl rings.
Off the field, Harlan, in partnership with John Jones, convinced Brown County voters to approve a 0.5% sales tax that partially funded the 2003 renovation of Lambeau Field, which set the Packers on a path to financial stability, and ultimately allowed the team to invest more than $1 billion in its Lambeau Field campus and create the Titletown development west of Lambeau Field.
Harlan retired in 2008, when Mark Murphy was hired to be president and CEO. He remained in Green Bay and sometimes could be seen around Lambeau Field, although he made it a point to never be seen as casting a shadow over Murphy's presidency. He was always available for interviews about his 37½ years with the Packers. In 2007, he published a memoir, "Green and Gold Moments, Bob Harlan and the Green Bay Packers."
The Rev. James Baraniak, who officiated Monday's Mass, recounted how Harlan retained his sense of humor even in the hospital. Baraniak was Packers team chaplain for 22 years and was always Father Jim to Harlan, the dedicated Catholic. Attempts to get Harlan to just call him Jim routinely failed.
Baraniak said in an interview several days before the funeral that "his humor, to the very last minute, was very sharp. Bob died the way he lived, a kind, generous, humble man, an extraordinarily funny man."
He told a story during Monday's homily of Harlan reciting to Baraniak his daily prayer, which was extensive, but ended with "Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite you to come into my heart and life."
"If you know Bob," Baraniak said, "You know he could not keep it too serious too long, because right after offering me that prayer, he said with an infectious laugh, 'Father Jim, you know very well that I've always tried my best to be a good Catholic ... but I'm afraid this confession just might disappoint you. You see father, the last three sentences of that of that daily prayer of mine, they're straight off Billy Graham.'"
He laughed, he laughed and he laughed, the priest said. Wife Madeline just shook her head.
Baraniak said he nodded and smiled and told Harlan he also always tried to be a good Catholic and a faithful priest, "but I too had a confession to make ... you see Bob, my grandmother was an old Kentucky Southern Baptist. She taught me those three lines 50 years ago."
They both laughed.
In addition to guiding the Packers, the Harlans were involved in numerous community organizations and recently launched the Bob Harlan Memorial Fund for the Children's Chancer Family Foundation.
Baraniak summed up Bob Harlan by simply calling him "a very good and decent man."
Contact Richard Ryman at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @RichRymanPG and on Instagram at @rrymanPG.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Bob Harlan remembered as decent man who served the Packers, Green Bay