Doctor of Education
(honoris causa) DEd
Walter Gretzky received the honorary degree, Doctor of Education on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. and delivered the convocation address to the graduates of Nipissing University’s concurrent Bachelor of Education program in Brantford, Ontario.
Gretzky was born on October 8, 1938 in Canning, Ontario. His eldest son, Wayne, enjoyed phenomenal success in the hockey rink and achieved world-wide stardom; consequently Walter found himself in the limelight as a world-famous hockey dad. In 1991, he suffered a severe brain aneurysm, which destroyed much of his memory. With the support of his wife and family, and a dedicated therapist, he bravely faced this hardship and now devotes much of his time to speaking about brain trauma. Gretzky is a dedicated individual with a compassionate heart who gives freely of his time to help others through charities and fundraisers while continuing to coach youth hockey.