Captain [William] George Alexander Gresham was born in Toronto, Ontario on 19 February 1921, the son of William Gresham and Ada Robina Wood. He attended Riverdale Collegiate Institute where he played flute, piccolo, and saxophone.

During the Second World War, Gresham served in the HMCS Stadacona band in Halifax. While there he met Marie Pearly Gibbons and they married on 30 September 1941.

Gresham returned to Toronto after the war and joined The Queen’s Own Rifles as a rifleman in 1946.

As a civilian, he worked for the T. Eaton Company most of his life.

He served as the military band’s Director of Music from 1976 to 1984 but continued to play with the band until shortly before his death. His brother Don, son Bill, and grandson Brad served in the QOR band.

His family recalls that they would often have a drink after dinner and he would sometimes say “I think I saw a snake in the backyard” right before grabbing the Napoleon brandy and pouring some for us to all to share.

Gresham died on 8 December 1996 in Toronto, Ontario and is buried in Resthaven Cemetery, Toronto.