Biography

A true all-around athlete, Gord Perry was a star baseball and hockey player in his youth but soon found that football was his true calling. He got his start playing with the Westward Football Intermediates from 1926 to 1927 and then became a key member of the Montreal Winged Wheelers from 1928 to 1934. A small but agile halfback, Perry was known for his speed. In 1931, he captained the Wheelers to an undefeated season as well as a Grey Cup victory, earning himself the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy as the most outstanding player in the Eastern Division that year. A four time Eastern all-star, Perry was also inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1970. After retiring from the football field, Perry settled in Ottawa, Ontario, and embarked on a successful career in the banking business. Continuing to add to his multi-sport resume, Perry honed his curling skills and soon became one of the most renowned curlers in the national capital region. Perry skipped his rink to the Royal Victoria Jubilee title in both 1953 and 1956 and served as president of the Ottawa Curling Club from 1966 to 1968. A spring bonspiel as well as a trophy have been named in his honour. A man of enduring health and vigor, Perry curled until he was 90 and golfed until the age of 98. In 2003, just before his death at the age of 100, he was named honourary captain of the Montreal Alouettes, a fitting tribute to his great football past.