Bill Horton's place in the history of local sports was firmly secured in 1982 when the soft-spoken coach brought an Atlantic Coast Hockey League Championship to Utica. It was the first pro hockey title for the city in 12 years.

Horton had a rewarding, though rocky relationship with professional hockey in the Mohawk Valley. Nevertheless, he built the foundation that attracted the American Hockey League and the Utica Devils here in 1987.

Horton was born in Lindsay, Ontario in 1946. In May 1988, at the age of 41, he died of heart failure at St. Luke's Memorial Hospital Center while awaiting a heart transplant.

Horton played hockey in the Ontario Junior A League in the 1960's. He progressed to the International Hockey League, World Hockey Association and spent a season as assistant coach and played in Sweden.

At the end of the '82-83 season, Horton's contract was not renewed by the Star's Board of Directors. He went to Erie, Pa., as GM-coach of the Erie Golden Blades and led them to the ACHL championship in 1983-84.

Despite his success there, his ties to his adopted city remained strong. He created the new Mohawk Valley Comets for the 1985-86 season and became their GM-coach. Nine games into the 1986-87 season, Horton got the ax again. But as the Comets' season ended, plans were announced to bring an American Hockey League team here.

Only a few months before he died, in January, and In March 1988, he made appeals on behalf of charity and the Bill Horton Heart Transplant Fund at two hockey games. After his death, donations made in his name were turned over to a fund to help other organ donors.