In Memory of Gerry Wardle

Gerry was born in Cheshire England and at age 15, he began his career as an apprentice at a local car dealer. At age 19, in 1967, he immigrated to Canada and settled in London where he also trained as a truck mechanic at Fanshawe College. Over the next ten years he worked at various local truck dealerships in the London area before starting his own repair business, Gerry’s Truck Centre Ltd. in 1981. His talent as a technician, his drive for expansion and his charismatic personality earned him much respect both as a mechanic and as a business owner.
Training new apprentices was a priority for Gerry, and he would often take the time to personally instruct trainees on proper techniques of diagnosis or repair.

It was with a great sense of pride that he watched these technicians gain self-confidence and abilities that would serve them well in the trade. He encouraged all employees to think on their feet, be innovative and if a special tool was not available, to fabricate what you needed. There was no problem that could not be fixed and the word “can’t” was not to be used as an excuse. It was a culture he worked hard at to transfer to apprentices from the start, to always take pride in your work and be proud of your profession.

Gerry Wardle passed away after a difficult battle with ALS in November 2014.