George M. Weiss, the 2014 NFF Gold Medal recipient and an emeritus member of the NFF Board of Trustees, unexpectedly passed away due to complications from pneumonia, according to his family. He was 82.

"George Weiss played a pivotal role in the history of the NFF over six decades, becoming one of our most influential leaders," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "His passion for our mission and his love of the game led him to a deep appreciation for the NFF and our ability to protect and promote the game. He became a trusted advisor to me personally, and I am forever grateful for his insights and perspective on the history of our organization. We are deeply saddened by his passing and our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Nancy, children Lauren and Doug, and his entire family."

A respected lawyer, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Weiss became involved with the National Football Foundation in 1969 first as an Associate Legal Counsel and then General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, and he became a fixture in the organization until his passing. He has helped navigate the organization through countless ventures and has served in numerous capacities, including vice chairman legal member, board member, legal counsel, committee chairman, fundraising and executive officer.

Weiss' service to the NFF has touched the tenures of every chairman in the history the organization, including Chester J. LaRoche, Vincent dePaul Draddy, William Pearce, Jon F. Hanson, Ron A. Johnson and Archie Manning. During the 1960s and 1970s, Weiss worked closely with many of the Foundation's pioneers, including LaRoche, Allison Danzig, Edgar Garbisch, George Murphy, Bill Morton and Stan Crossland.

Having served as NFF legal counsel for many years, Weiss accepted an invitation to join the board in 1988.  He became the organization's Treasurer/Secretary in 1995, and he served in that role until 2006 when he took on the role of Vice Chairman. He became an emeritus member of the board after accepting the NFF Gold Medal, the organization's highest honor in 2014, and continued in that capacity until his passing.

Working closely with every management team since 1969, he has had a major role in leading the foundation into a modern era, overseeing all legal matters, chapter programs, the Hall of Fame Bowl Game, the Kickoff Classic, the launch of the NFF Play It Smart youth development program, the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, the naming of the William V. Campbell Trophy® and many other projects.

During his 45 years with the organization, Weiss has helped negotiate the location of all of the sites of the College Football Hall of Fame, including the move in 2014 to the $67 million 95,000 sq ft facility in Atlanta. "I am probably the only man alive who has helped negotiate four football Halls of Fame moves…Rutgers (a house), New York (limestone mansion), Kings Island (Ohio), South Bend (Ind.) and now this (Atlanta)," Weiss said of the grand opening of the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

Born Oct. 10, 1941, Weiss was initially raised in the South Bronx before moving to Rochester, N.Y. He attended Benjamin Franklin High School, playing football. For college, he enrolled in Bowling Green State University in 1959, graduating in 1963. He then returned to New York, receiving a master's degree from the New York University School of Education in 1965 and his Juris Doctors degree from New York University Law School in 1968. Shortly thereafter, Weiss joined the law firm of Rubin, Baum, Levin, Constant & Friedman (now the New York office of SNR Denton and one of the largest law firms in the world) eventually becoming a senior partner.

In 1992, he founded Beechtree Capital, private investment firm operating in New York City, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Silicon Valley, Calif.  The firm participated in more than 100 venture investments, and Weiss served on the board and committees at more than 20 public and private companies.

There will be a celebration of his life on the anniversary of his birthday, Oct. 10, in New York City this fall.