▁Williams ▁simply ▁sh ru gg ed ▁off ▁the ▁loss ▁and ▁no ▁rep lac ements ▁were ▁ever ▁issued . ▁ ▁In ▁later ▁years , ▁Williams ▁grew ▁bitter ▁about ▁his ▁sport ing ▁experiences , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁being ▁the ▁only ▁living ▁Canadian ▁Olympic ▁gold ▁medal ist ▁who ▁refused ▁the ▁federal ▁government ' s ▁inv itation ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁Summer ▁Olympics ▁in ▁Montreal . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁he ▁was ▁made ▁an ▁Officer ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Williams , ▁who ▁never ▁married , ▁stayed ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁until ▁her ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 9 2 . ▁After ▁that , ▁he ▁lived ▁alone ▁and ▁suffered ▁from ▁ar th rit ic ▁pain . ▁A ▁keen ▁collect or ▁of ▁guns , ▁Williams ▁shot ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁head ▁with ▁a ▁gun ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁awarded ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁as ▁a ▁prize ▁for ▁his ▁Olympic ▁fe at . ▁His ▁suic ide ▁was ▁a ▁surprise ▁to ▁everyone ▁and ▁no ▁note ▁was ▁left . ▁He ▁was ▁inter red ▁at ▁Mason ic ▁C emetery ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia , ▁Burn aby , ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Awards ▁and ▁Rec ogn ition ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁Williams ▁was ▁proc laimed ▁by ▁a ▁Canadian ▁press ▁poll ▁as ▁Canada ' s ▁greatest ▁track ▁ath lete ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁They ▁updated ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁to ▁declare ▁him ▁Canada ' s ▁all - time