Walter Gretzky CM OOnt (October 8, 1938 – March 4, 2021) was a beloved Canadian author, community volunteer, and relentless philanthropist who achieved international admiration as Canada’s ultimate "hockey dad" and the father of legendary player Wayne Gretzky. Born and raised in Canning, Ontario, he worked for three decades as a cable repairman and installer for Bell Canada while dedicating his free time to coaching youth hockey on his famous, hand-built backyard rink in Brantford, Ontario. After suffering a near-fatal brain aneurysm and stroke in 1991 that erased most of his recent memory, Gretzky engineered a miraculous recovery, a deeply painful yet inspiring journey he chronicled in his bestselling 2001 memoir, Walter Gretzky: On Family, Hockey and Healing. He transformed his widespread public recognition into a platform for good, working as a tireless fundraiser and national spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada and awarded the Order of Ontario, cementing an enduring legacy as an emblem of working-class Canadian warmth, resilience, and community spirit.
This profile is awaiting source review; collected books are already linked below.
