Wrestling legend Harry Geris passes away
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by Elizabeth Wiley
It is with great sadness that that USA Wrestling announces the sudden death of Harry Geris early this morning, April 24, 2008. Geris had an outstanding career as an Olympic wrestler representing Canada on three Olympic teams (1968, '72, '76).
Geris was also a member of Team Canada at the Pan-American Games, the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup, winning bronze medals at all three events.
A graduate of Beal Secondary School in London, Geris made significant contributions to the wrestling programs first at Joliette College in Chicago and later at Oklahoma State University in the 1970's.
For the last five years Geris has been a volunteer wrestling coach with the program at the University of Western Ontario. He served as an assistant to head coach Ray Takahashi at UWO. Geris and Takahashi were teammates on the 1976 Olympic Wrestling Team in Montreal.
Geris was inducted into the U.S. National Junior College Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame in May of 1984.
Geris was a past president of the London Western Wrestling Club and the Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association, additionally he previously served as a president of the Southwest Optimist Club of London.
Geris passed away doing what he liked the most, helping the sport of wrestling in any way he could. He was found early this morning at Saunders Secondary School in London, preparing and moving mats for the upcoming Elementary School Wrestling Championships. The championships were cancelled today due to Geris' death.
If anyone wishes to send their condolences, please e-mail them to Josip Mrkoci at josipwrestling@hotmail.com and he will give them to Geris' sons and wife, Jo Anne.
Geris was also a member of Team Canada at the Pan-American Games, the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup, winning bronze medals at all three events.
A graduate of Beal Secondary School in London, Geris made significant contributions to the wrestling programs first at Joliette College in Chicago and later at Oklahoma State University in the 1970's.
For the last five years Geris has been a volunteer wrestling coach with the program at the University of Western Ontario. He served as an assistant to head coach Ray Takahashi at UWO. Geris and Takahashi were teammates on the 1976 Olympic Wrestling Team in Montreal.
Geris was inducted into the U.S. National Junior College Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame in May of 1984.
Geris was a past president of the London Western Wrestling Club and the Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association, additionally he previously served as a president of the Southwest Optimist Club of London.
Geris passed away doing what he liked the most, helping the sport of wrestling in any way he could. He was found early this morning at Saunders Secondary School in London, preparing and moving mats for the upcoming Elementary School Wrestling Championships. The championships were cancelled today due to Geris' death.
If anyone wishes to send their condolences, please e-mail them to Josip Mrkoci at josipwrestling@hotmail.com and he will give them to Geris' sons and wife, Jo Anne.
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