8120

 8120 William (Bill) R. Gard

1969 Review








Bill Gard, retired naval Commander, was born in Ontario after the Second World War. He attended high school at Alderwood Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke, Ontario. Enrolling in the RCN in September 1965, he attended Royal Roads Military College in Victoria, British Columbia for two years and graduated from the Royal Military College, in Kingston, Ontario with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree in 1969. Following completion of his pre-fleet course in Halifax in 1969, he was posted to his first ship, HMCS St. Croix, in Esquimalt, British Columbia where he obtained a Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate before commencing his Marine Systems Engineering Officer  training. In 1972, he attended the Royal Naval Engineering College (Manadon) in Plymouth, England for the Marine Engineering Applications Course. On completion, he was posted to HMCS Kootenay, where he achieved his Level I engineering qualification. In 1974, he completed his Level II engineering certification in HMCS Gatineau. Posted to the Fleet School, at HMCS Naden in Esquimalt, British Columbia, he taught the Phase IV engineering officer's curriculum. In 1975, he was posted to HMCS Terra Nova, and subsequently HMCS Yukon as the Marine Systems Engineering Officer. In 1978, he was posted to National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ), as the Career Manager for all Marine Engineering Non-Commissioned members. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander in 1979. In 1980-81, he completed the one year Continuous French Language course in Ottawa, Ontario and St. Jean, Quebec before being posted to the Ship Repair Unit in Halifax. In 1983, he was posted as the Marine Systems Engineering Officer in HMCS Iroquois. In 1985, he was posted as the Senior Engineer in the Marine Systems Engineering Division of the Fleet School Halifax. On promotion to Commander in 1989, he was posted to the Directorate of Marine and Electoral Engineering at NDHQ. During the next four years, he was the Directorate Administration and Training section head and the Class Desk Officer for all Steamships and Auxiliary Vessels. Commander Gard returned to Halifax in 1993, as the CFB Halifax Base Technical Services Officer. In 1994 and 1995, he chaired the CFB Halifax and the Maritime Command DND United Way campaigns respectively. He served as the PMC of the Officers mess from November 1993 to February 1995. Commander Gard retired, Aug 15, 1996 under the Liberal government's Force Reduction Program. He served for thirty years in the RCN and the Canadian Forces. He is a former Chairperson of the Halifax Regional Development Agency; a former Chairperson of the Sackville CAP (Community Access Program) Association; a former Commanding Officer of Canada's Naval Memorial (1999-2003), HMCS SACKVILLE. She is the last WW II Corvette of 269 built in WW II during which Canada built 123. He is presently President of the Atlantic Branch of the Royal Military Colleges Alumni Association of Canada, a Board member of the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust and President of the Probus Club of Cobequid. He is married to the former Judith DeWolfe of Halifax. They have four children, Kristine, Bradley, Natalie, Gregory; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Unfortunately, their son, Greg Neate, passed away from cancer on 19 August 2021 in Moncton NB at the age of 48. The Gards will celebrate their 38th wedding anniversary on 20 Sep 2024.


Bill Gard, Mike Johnson, Garry Beckman 2019 Reunion

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