Donald Gilchrist

Donald Gilchrist
Personal information
Full name Donald Hunter Gilchrist
Country represented Canada
Born (1922-01-02)January 2, 1922
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died March 14, 2017(2017-03-14) (aged 95)
Partner Marlene Smith
Eleanor O'Meara
Skating club Toronto Skating Club
Began skating February 1928
Retired c. 1950
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Figure skating: Pairs
North American Championships
1949 PhiladelphiaPairs

Donald Hunter Gilchrist (January 2, 1922 – March 14, 2017) was a Canadian figure skater. As a pair skater with Marlene Smith, he became the 1949 North American silver medalist and a two-time Canadian national champion (1949–1950). He was a three-time national silver medalist in men's singles.

Personal life

Gilchrist was born on January 2, 1922, in Toronto. He graduated from the University of Toronto (Trinity) in 1950 and married Christiane Legier in 1952; the couple would have three children – Nancy Ann, Donald, and Jean.[1] He died at age 95 on March 14, 2017.[2]

Career

Figure skating

Gilchrist began skating when he joined the Toronto Skating Club in February 1928.[1] Competing in men's singles, he won silver at three consecutive Canadian Championships, from 1940 to 1942.

After a partnership with Eleanor O'Meara, he teamed up with Marlene Smith. The pair won two national titles (1949–1950) and silver at the 1949 North American Championships.

Gilchrist began judging international skating competitions in 1951.[2] He judged at the 1952 Winter Olympics and at multiple World Championships (1952, 1959, 1964, 1967), and also served as a referee.[3]

He was a substitute member of the International Skating Union (ISU) Single & Pair Skating Technical Committee (from 1953), a main member of the technical committee (1969–1971, 1973–1980), an ISU Council member (1980–1992), and an ISU Honorary Member (from 1992).[3] He was inducted into the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1996.[4]

Other

Gilchrist served as a marksman and captain in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps during the 1940s.[1] He worked for Canada's Department of Defence Production in Washington (1952 to the 1960s), as director general of the Trade Commissioner Service (from 1966), as a vice-president of the Canadian Commercial Corporation, as consul general in Los Angeles (from 1974), and as minister-counsellor at the embassy in the Netherlands (1982–1986).[1]

Competitive highlights

Pairs with Smith

International
Event 1949 1950
World Championships7th
North American Championships2nd
National[5]
Canadian Championships1st1st

Pairs with O'Meara

National[5]
Event 1940
Canadian Championships3rd

Men's singles

National[5]
Event 1937 1939 1940 1941 1942
Canadian Championships3rd J2nd J2nd2nd2nd
J = Junior level

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Obituary: Donald Hunter Gilchrist". The Ottawa Citizen / legacy.com. March 18, 2017. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Skating Community Mourns the Passing of Donald Gilchrist". Skate Canada. March 17, 2017. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Communication No. 2081" (PDF). International Skating Union. March 24, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 28, 2017.
  4. ↑ "1996 Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame Induction". Skate Canada. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Canadian Figure Skating Championships" (PDF). Skate Canada. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2017.
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