14 George Gross

A salute to The 62

George Gross, founding sports editor, was a man of many sports talents in his youth in native communist Czechoslovakia before fleeing to Canada in 1949. After dabbling in farm work and freelance reporting for the Toronto Telegram, he was hired by the Tely full-time in 1959. For almost 50 years - 12 at the Tely and 37 at the Sun - The Baron, as he was affectionately called, set the bar high for competitive sportswriters and sports editors. George picked his proteges like he picked his quality suits - with a keen eye for fabric and durability. He was a tough boss, but those who stayed the course were rewarded for their dedication. George, who affectionately called colleagues "kiddo," retired as sports editor in 1986 but continued writing as corporate sports editor. The Hall of Famer and NNA winner, who helped raise $1 million for Variety Village in annual Sun Christmas appeals, was on the job researching a new column when he died from a heart attack on March 21, 2008. He was 85. Today's popular Sun sports section and awards and buildings in his name are some of his legacies.

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We want to give everyone the opportunity to mark the 40th anniversary.