Judge Robert J. Parins, former Green Bay Packers President and director emeritus, died Friday night at the age of 98.
Parins, the first fulltime president, was also a member of the board of directors for 28 years and was a director emeritus at the time of his death.
He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1998.
"Judge Parins was an excellent leader of the Packers, creating the foundation for the team's successful organizational structure," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "He had exceptional foresight to establish the board's committees, build Lambeau Field's first suites and begin the Packers Foundation, which is a tremendous legacy of his.
"His contributions during his time as President, board member and director emeritus over the course of 50 years were transformative, and we are extremely grateful for his dedication. Our condolences go out to his wife, Elizabeth, and the rest of his family."
Former Packers President/CEO Bob Harlan credited Parins for his leadership and vision for the franchise.
"I really enjoyed working with him. He showed great leadership when he took over the organization at a difficult time," Harlan said. "He saw how the NFL was changing and how the Packers needed to change and expand our operations to be competitive and ultimately succeed. He really started a new era for us."
Parins was first elected to the Packers Board of Directors in 1966 and elected vice president when he joined the executive committee in 1979. Subsequently elected as President in 1982, he was given the additional title of CEO in 1988.
Prior to his retirement in June of 1989, Parins handpicked Bob Harlan as his successor. Parins was named honorary chairman in 1991 and became director emeritus in 1994.
