Dr. Gary McPherson Biography

Dr. Gary McPherson, born in Edson in 1946, was an extraordinary Albertan who sought to improve the conditions and lives of people through his outstanding leadership ability. Diagnosed with polio in 1955, McPherson spent 34 years at the University of Alberta Hospital before moving into the community where he married and raised two children.

Throughout his life, McPherson was a sports enthusiast, serving as President of the Edmonton Paralympic Sports Association and the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association and an Adjunct Professor with the Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Alberta. He was also a leader and advocate for the disabled community serving as Chair of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Chair of the Board of Directors of The Steadward Centre for Personal and Physical Achievement and Vice-Chair of the Alberta Paraplegic Foundation. He was also the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in the School of Business at the University of Alberta.

Over a lifetime of achievements, he was inducted into both the Edmonton and Alberta sports halls of fame; named as one of the Top 100 Contributors to Sport in Alberta over the past century; and, received the Order of Canada, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal and the Alberta Order of Excellence.He was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta and was named one of the top 100 Edmontonians of the Century.

Dr. Gary McPherson married Valerie Kamitomo in 1988. Together they raised a daughter, Keiko and a son, Jamie. Above all, he dedicated his life to his family as a father and husband and to activities that promoted community development and support for young people. In April, he discovered that he had cancer. He passed away on Saturday, May 8 at age 63.