Cleric, music educator.
Born at Windsor, Ontario on 11 October 1948 to Jean Eleanor McKibbon (1929-1963) and Gordon Burwell Pollard (1927-1997), both trumpet players, his education in and appreciation for the instrument began at age six. He came to Winnipeg to attend the Winnipeg Bible College and after graduation became the youth pastor at Emmanuel Free Church in Steinbach, but in the meantime supplemented his income with a position as band teacher at Steinbach Regional Secondary School. This led to a vocation as a band educator.
In the next four years he taught band full-time at Winkler while earning Bachelor and Masters degrees in Music Education from Bemidji State University. After seven and a half years at Winkler, the Pollard family moved to Winnipeg, where he taught band at Westdale Junior High and then at Oak Park High School (1986-2002) until retirement. At Winkler, he was a founding member of a house church, Emmaus Fellowship, and at Winnipeg a founding member of Grace Bible Church.
He simultaneously pursued an active performing career as a trumpet player with the Winnipeg Brass Quintet, the Ron Paley Big Band, Musik Barock, and the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble, while freelancing at every opportunity.
In retirement, he enjoyed teaching for the University of Manitoba as well as nurturing numerous private trumpet students. Besides being a performer and church statesman, he was known for his skills as a handyman and woodworker.
With his wife Carole Pollard, whom he met at Winnipeg Bible College and who became a piano teacher for young children, he had two sons, both of whom followed careers in music.
He died at Winnipeg on 13 February 2012 and was buried in the Saint Vital Cemetery. The Gary Pollard Memorial Scholarship was established by the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble, providing recognition of and financial support for outstanding trumpet students in Grades 7 through 12.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 15 February 2012.
Gary Gordon Pollard, FindAGrave.
“Gary Gordon Pollard,” Angus Family Tree, Ancestry.
Gary Pollard Memorial Scholarship, Winnipeg Wind Ensemble.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 15 August 2026
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