Sunday, September 27, 2009
George Adeniji. Garrick. (8 April 1917 – 12 July 1988)
Born in Lagos on April 8, 1917, George Adeniji Garrick was the eldest son of Stanley David Garrick, a senior administrator and courtier to HRH The Oba of Benin in the former Kingdom of Benin, now southwestern Nigeria.
George Garrick attended King's College, Lagos where he excelled academically and was also noted for his prowess at games including cricket, football, squash and athletics.
The outbreak of World War II in 1939 ended Garrick's hopes of a medal at the British Empire Games which, ordinarily, would have been held in 1942. Nevertheless, he went on to register several athletic successes as a medical student at Glasgow University during the war years. In October 1946, he was awarded his Full Athletics Blue by the university; then, in 1947, he gained international honours representing Scotland against England and Ireland. Subsequently, he was appointed Captain of University Athletics for the 1948–49 season.Returning to Nigeria after qualifying as a medical doctor, George Garrick entered the Government Medical Service and served in several parts of the country before going into private practice. In 1953, he married Princess Comfort Odinchezo Amobi, a granddaughter of Igwe Amobi I of Ogidi.
They had two children together. Kola and Tayo.
Upon his father's death in 1958, Garrick's inheritance of the lands and seigniorial standing bestowed by HRH The Oba of Benin led him to settle permanently in Benin City to continue his medical career.
