Joseph Gilles André Couvrette

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Joseph Gilles André Couvrette (January 15, 1934 – December 31, 2020) was a Canadian diplomat who served as ambassador to many countries and as High Commissioner to The Gambia. Born in Outremont, Quebec, he began his career in 1959 with postings in Rome, Lagos, and Paris. In the mid-1970s he held several African postings, including The Gambia as High Commissioner and ambassadorships to Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. In 1977 he became ambassador to Lebanon, also serving in Jordan and Syria. He later led Canada’s missions in Sweden (1981–1983) and Greece (1985–1989). Back in Canada, he served as Chief of Protocol and Assistant Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs. He died in Ottawa in 2020 at age 86, leaving his wife Micheline and four children.