After a battle with Parkinson’s disease, the namesake for Barrie's Gilbert Centre has died at age 76.
George Edward (Ed) Gilbert passed away on Friday, Oct. 16 at Errinrung Nursing Home in Thornbury.
Gilbert was known as the first Simcoe County man to come out publicly as being HIV-positive.
Gilbert Centre executive director Gerry Croteau said that although Gilbert was becoming more and more visibly ill, he was at the Bradford Street facility in 2019 to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ontario Seniors’ Association for his work within the HIV community.
“His mom was here, along with other family members, and it was a wonderful day," Croteau told BarrieToday. "But, at that point, it was evidently clear that Parkinson’s was taking a toll on him.”
Born Dec. 6, 1943, in Napanee, Ont., Gilbert worked for the Trans Canada Pipeline in Toronto before moving to Calgary to continue with the company. He returned to Ontario in 1986, moving to Barrie and working at Royal LePage Realty.
Gilbert was one of the co-founders of the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County (ACSC) and acted as its first executive director.
Croteau said Gilbert’s dedication to the education of the AIDS/HIV movement was “honourable and tireless.”
“He was going through the stigmas in the early days, when it was really bad. Back then, you couldn’t get an apartment or keep your job if they found out you were HIV-positive, or even gay, for that matter,” Croteau said.
“Ed had been kicked out of apartments and was living on his boat at the yacht club here in Barrie," he added. "There are still stigmas now, but then people would cross the street if you were HIV-positive.”
Gilbert was a boat enthusiast, owning several sail boats throughout his time in Toronto, Barrie and Collingwood. He was elected an honorary member of the Collingwood Sailing Club, and also served as commodore of the Blue Mountain Power & Sail Squadron.
While living in St. Catharines for a number of years, Gilbert became involved with the Unitarian Church and was elected as lay chaplain in 2009.
In 2015, in recognition of all of his hard work, the ACSC was renamed the Gilbert Centre for Social and Support Services. For more than 25 years, the centre has provided programs and services to the region.
Croteau says that as courageous as Gilbert was, he received strength and support from his mother and family.
“His mother, Lois, was always there to support him. In the last 40 years, when he was diagnosed with HIV, she was really there for him and was instrumental in helping to start what is now the Gilbert Centre,” Croteau said. “It was very heart-warming to see how supportive she was early on, but also later in his life as he lived at home with her and she helped him as best she could.”
Croteau says the work Gilbert started needs to push ahead even more to honour him.
“When I started here as executive director, I had a budget of about $58,000 a year and my mandate was to keep the doors open,” Croteau said. “I didn’t think it was possible, and back then Ed came in to remind us that the struggle was worth it. That he had been discriminated against for so long and he and many his age fought those battles to get us where we are.
“He is an absolute inspiration to all of us, as he should be," Croteau added.
Friends will be received on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Chatterson Funeral Home, located at 404 Hurontario St., Collingwood.
If desired, donations can be made in Gilbert's memory to the Gilbert Centre.
