Sports executive.
Born at Mehan, Oklahoma on 19 October 1933 to Joecelle E. Sinclair (1917-1988) and Jesse Monroe Lunsford (1907-1982), he was a graduate of Stillwater High School, and went on to earn a BSc degree in Geology and a Master’s degree in Education from Oklahoma State University. He then served in the US Army from 1956 until 1958.
His career in professional football entailed six years playing in the Canadian Football League, all with the Calgary Stampeders, finishing with 6,994 yards and 55 touchdowns. A two-time league all-star, he once scored five touchdowns in one game (3 September 1962 in Calgary). From 1968-1982, he was the general manager of the Winnipeg Football Club, and left a lasting legacy on the franchise. The improvements made to the Blue Bombers facility were made during his regime. He helped navigate the club through some difficult times, and was the one in charge during the expansion to the former Winnipeg Stadium from 22,000 to 32,000 seats, when additions were made to the upper decks on the east and west sides. In 1983, he was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and was inducted, as a builder, into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 1990.
With his wife Margot (married 1955) he had two children. He was a member of the Winnipeg Rotary Club.
He died at Fort Worth, Texas on 3 September 2008 and was buried in the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
“Earl Lunsford passes away at 74,” CFL.ca, 4 September 2008.
Obituary, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 September 2008.
“Earl Monroe Lunsford”, Barry “Apollo” Robin Edwards III Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 21 December 2024
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