George Gross, the Toronto Sun‘s first sports editor and a major figure in Canadian sports journalism, died early Friday at his Toronto home. He was 85.
Known as “The Baron” because of his Czech accent and European sensibilities, Gross emigrated to Canada in 1949 after fleeing his homeland. Once he mastered English, he renewed his career as a journalist.
He was a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, and received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award winner from the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Olympic Order and the Order of Ontario.
Gross served as the Sun‘s sports editor until 1986. He remained active until the end, playing tennis regularly and continuing to write a column for the Sun.