A Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Ackles started with the Lions more than 50 years ago as a water boy and worked his way to the top of the organization. (Chuck Stoody/Canadian Press)

Bob Ackles, the B.C. Lions' long-serving president and chief executive officer, died Sunday morning of a heart attack at age 69.

A Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Ackles started with the Lions more than 50 years ago as a water boy, and eventually worked his way to the top of the organization. He was also a governor of the CFL.

Friends, colleagues and players remembered Ackles as a man who had a passion for football but treated everyone with respect.

"It was our league that virtually adopted him when he was just a boy, and it's our league that has looked to him as a man for counsel, inspiration and leadership by example," CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a statement. "As much as the CFL has meant to Bob, he has meant so much more to us."

He joined the team in 1953 and in 1966 was named the club's director of football development. He was promoted again in 1971 to assistant general manager. Four years later, he was promoted to general manager, holding that title until 1986.

"We've lost one of the true greats," Cohon said. "His contribution was so tremendous, and our gratitude is so profound, they exceed even the deep sense of loss we feel today."

A small man with a large personality, Ackles loved telling stories about his early days in the CFL with legends like Jackie Parker and Annis Stukus, plus his time in the NFL where he rubbed shoulders with people like Jimmy Johnson, Jon Gruden and Tex Schramm.

A tireless worker, Ackles also enjoyed spending time on his boat and relaxed by painting and reading.

Lions players and coaches were holding a team picnic when they learned of Ackles's death.

Under his leadership, the team captured its first CFL title in 21 seasons, the 1985 Grey Cup.

General manager and head coach Wally Buono fought back tears as he reacted to the loss of Ackles. "It was quite a shock. Knowing Bob, he would want things to move forward. Football was a big part of Bob's life."

"It is a trying time," added Lions safety Barron Miles. "He treated everyone the same. It didn't matter your position in the organization. Everyone was dealt with the same way and treated with the same respect."

George Chayka, the Lions' vice-president of business, credited Ackles with restoring pride and financial stability to a franchise that had been battered by bad management and neglect.

"The one thing that Bob brought every day was a tremendous amount of passion," said Chayka. "He cared about this franchise. It was a part of him. It was a big part of his life.

"He asked a lot from his staff, he got a lot from his staff, but he gave a lot."

After the Grey Cup win in '85, Ackles left the team to join the NFL, working in management for teams in Dallas, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Miami. He also was the vice-president and general manager of the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL, before returning to lead the Lions in 2002, the same year he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder.

Ackles then recruited Buono, one of the league's most successful coaches, and named him GM and head coach in 2003. He also brought star quarterback Dave Dickenson to the team the same year.

In 2004, Ackles was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Two years later, the Lions captured their fifth championship, their first since Ackles's return to Vancouver.

Ackles's impact went beyond football. B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell called him "a true champion" who "built a team and as he did, he strengthened our province and our country.

"Our province has lost a great British Columbian today," Campbell said in a statement. "Bob's determination, dedication and commitment to the B.C. Lions, the fans and his community serve as an example of exemplary citizenship that all British Columbians can be proud of."

In September 2007, he published his memoir The Water Boy, a candid, account of his life and his more than 50 years in professional football.

But as proud as he was of his roots, both Ackles and his wife Kay sometimes bristled at the "water boy" nickname.

"Some people couldn't accept that I'd risen through the ranks to become a successful sports franchise executive," Ackles wrote in The Water Boy. "Call it envy, call it whatever, but the name sounded disparaging and it ticked Kay off to hear it."

Ackles was born in Sarnia, Ont., on Sept. 16, 1938. His family moved to Vancouver in 1952 and spent part of that summer camping in Stanley Park.

As a kid Ackles played hockey, football and rugby. He joined the Lions after seeing a newspaper story saying a professional football team was forming in Vancouver.

"I thought it would be great to be the water boy if Vancouver got a team," Ackles wrote in his book. "The next morning I skipped school and headed down to the office."

Ackles is survived by wife Kay, sons Steve and Scott and five grandchildren.

With files from the Canadian Press