Joseph Raymond Gerald "Gerry" Ouellette (August 14, 1934 – June 25, 1975) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

sport shooter Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such a ...

and Olympic champion. He was born in

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

, and, at the age of 22, became the first Olympic gold medalists from the city. He won a gold medal in the Small-bore Rifle, prone event at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

.Profile: "Gerry Ouellette"
''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on January 15, 2008) In 1952 he received the Lieutenant-Governor's Medal. He joined the Canadian Forces in 1955, and served for over 20 years. His success at shooting began in his Army Cadet days when he won numerous Cadet shooting titles. In 1959, he was Canada's sporting rifle champion and also represented Canada for a second time at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

. A 45-cent Canadian postage stamp portraying Ouellette was issued July 8, 1996, as part of the series ''Canadian Olympic Gold Medallists''.''Canada FDC #1608-1612 Canadian Olympic Gold Medallists''"Canada: 45c Gerald Ouellette, smallbore rifle, prone, 1956"
(Retrieved on January 15, 2008) He has also been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.The Olympians Among Us page 24,25 Ouellete was killed when the aircraft he was flying crashed near

Leamington, Ontario Leamington ( ) is a municipality in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. With a population of 27,595 in the Canada 2016 Census, it forms the second largest urban centre in Windsor-Essex County after Windsor, Ontario. It includes Point Pelee National P ...

, on June 25, 1975.

References

1934 births 1975 deaths Canadian male sport shooters ISSF rifle shooters Shooters at the 1956 Summer Olympics Shooters at the 1968 Summer Olympics Olympic shooters for Canada Olympic gold medalists for Canada Olympic medalists in shooting Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Windsor, Ontario Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Canada Accidental deaths in Ontario Pan American Games medalists in shooting Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada Shooters at the 1959 Pan American Games Shooters at the 1967 Pan American Games Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1975 20th-century Canadian people {{Canada-sportshooting-bio-stub