Bob McNair, owner of Stonerside Stable, dies at 81
Bob McNair, a prominent breeder and owner who founded Stonerside Stable and the NFL's Houston Texans, died Friday, according to an announcement from his National Football League franchise. He was 81.
McNair and his wife, Janice, founded Stonerside Stable, a 1,947-acre operation in Paris, Ky., in 1994. At its height, Stonerside had more than 275 horses, whether racing or breeding stock. The operation won 72 graded stakes and bred the earners of more than $50 million, according to the announcement. The couple’s top runners included Touch Gold, the winner of the 1997 Belmont Stakes whom Stonerside raced in partnership Frank Stronach; Congaree, a homebred who won five Grade 1 stakes and earned $3.2 million; and Bob and John, another homebred, who won the Wood Memorial.
The McNairs sold Stonerside to Darley in 2008 to focus on the Houston Texans, which McNair founded in 2002.
“Janice and I have loved every minute of owning Stonerside, but I have a duty to the Houston Texans now, and it has become increasingly difficult to focus on both ventures,” McNair said in a 2008 article in Daily Racing Form.
McNair was a Houston-based businessman and philanthropist who also served as the senior chairman and chief executive officer of the Houston Texans. The franchise was the 32nd the NFL awarded on a 29-0 vote by owners in 1999, according to the announcement. The Super Bowl was held at the team’s base of NRG Stadium in both 2004 and 2017.
“Mr. McNair was an amazing man who made tremendous contributions to the NFL and the city of Houston,” Bill O’Brien, head coach of the Houston Texans, said in a statement. “He was a very caring, thoughtful and passionate individual. As much as he cared about winning, I think the thing I will remember most about Mr. McNair is the way he cared about the players. I know how much giving back meant to him and his loyalty and generosity to the city of Houston and our community will never be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with Janice and the McNair Family.”
The McNairs and their charitable foundations gave more than $500 million to various causes, including educational, faith-based and healthcare organizations, according to the announcement. The couple was often honored for their extreme generosity.
McNair was a native of Tampa, Fla. He was a 1958 graduate of the University of South Carolina and in 1960 moved to Houston with Janice. McNair founded Cogen Technologies. He was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1997, the Houston Hall of Fame in 2010, and was awarded the Texas Sports Hall of Fame’s Lamar Hunt Lifetime Achievement award in 2018.
McNair is survived by Janice, sons Cal and Cary, and daughters Ruth and Melissa. The McNairs have 15 grandchildren.