Art Grundy
For a man with vision problems (he had astigmatism, among other things), Olympic-calibre marksman Grundy sure did have a good eye.
Art Grundy was born in Windsor on December 1, 1933. He began shooting when he attended W.D. Lowe Vocational. In 1948, he competed for the first time in the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association’s (DCRA) Fullbore Championships; he won the “Tyro Match” (first-time shooters) against some tough competition. He went on to shoot at the Nationals for 60 straight years and represented his province and country many times throughout his career.
A list of just a few of his achievements includes: representing Canada abroad at five World Championships; member of twelve Canadian teams competing at Bisley; recipient, Distinguished Marksman Award from the NRA, 1996; member, Canadian National Champion, Windsor Warlocks lacrosse team; induction into the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame, 2005.
Bad luck spoiled his Olympic aspirations. Art qualified for the Olympic Games at Montreal in 1976, but did not participate because Canada decided to take only three shooters (instead of the usual four); four years later, Art again qualified, but his dream was thwarted once more by his country’s decision to boycott the Moscow Games.
His wit was, reportedly, as sharp as his aim. A gun association newsletter recounts an exchange Art had with the Prince of Wales at Bisley, England during a competition there; stopping to chat with the shooters from Canada, Prince Charles asked Art where he was from with Art replying “Windsor.” Charles responded saying he didn’t know where that was, and Art answered saying: “no, but your mother does.”
Near the end of his life Grundy suffered a stroke, but he continued to play hockey and baseball and, of course, competed in the master’s division for shooting. Said his wife, Sue Beaupre: “Last August, he went to Ottawa to try shooting but he was home in two days….For him, if there was no sports, there was no life…”
Art Grundy passed away on June 10, 2012. He was 78.
Sources:
“Art Grundy.” Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016.
“Dearly Departed Art Grundy Was a Shooting Icon.” Ammoland: Shooting Sports News. N.p., 26 June 2012. Web. 21 July 2016.
Techko, Tony, and Carl Morgan. The Olympians among Us: Celebrating a Century of Excellence. Tecumseh, Ont.: TraveLife Pub. Enterprises, 1995. Print.