CROSBY, Gordon - Peacefully at the Sunnyside Home in Kitchener on January 3, 2019, at the age of 91.
Beloved husband of Geraldine, his partner of nearly 70 years (deceased 2015).
Loving father of Cameron (Peggy) and Gary Michael (deceased 1971).
Gord was a proud grandfather of Michael (Alysia Kolentsis), Kate (Ben Martin) and Gary (Stacey). Great-grandfather to Lucia, Liam, Anna, Alexandra, Jacob, Emma and Kayla.
Born in East York in 1927, Gord overcame early hardships to lead a remarkable life. He showed an early love for athletics and first competed at a world class level as Canada's 100m Hurdle Champion, then in the same event at the 1950 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand and later at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
Gord was a volunteer with many local charitable organizations, but most notably was a long-time supporter and member of the Board of Directors of St. John's Kitchen and The Working Centre in downtown Kitchener. The difficult experiences that he faced throughout his life left their mark on him and he always felt kinship with and compassion for those who were suffering. Despite of all of his accomplishments and interests, Gord was most proud of his family.
He knew firsthand how fleeting life could be, having lost a son and his inner circle of family members was his sustaining force. The family has countless stories of Gord to keep his memory alive: his legendary discipline and drive; his unwavering strength of character; his dry humour; and his fiery passion. Above all, to the end, Gord had the heart of a survivor.
The family is grateful for the care Gord received from the staff at Sunnyside and from Dr. Tom Irvine. Visitation will be held at Memory Gardens Funeral Home, Breslau, ON, on Sunday, January 6th from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Service will be held in the Chapel on Monday, January 7th at 2 p.m., followed by interment, with a reception to follow.
If desired, memorial donations to The Working Centre would be appreciated.
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