George Garrick

Please see scheduled service date and times. 

George Livingston Garrick was born on January 9, 1937, in the village of Biabou, St. Vincent, West Indies to George Garrick, Sr and Ellen Charles. He was the youngest of five brothers – LeClair, Wycliffe, Ormond and Elan all of whom preceded him in death.

Livi, as his family called him, attended school at the Biabou Methodist School. After school, he enlisted in the West India Regiment (West Indies Army) and was initially stationed in St. James, Trinidad, before later being transferred to Jamaica. From Jamaica and upon discharge from the Regiment, Livi immigrated to the United States in the early 1960s. He later became a founding member and treasurer of the West Indies Ex-Servicemen Association which was headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.

Soon after arriving in New York City, Livi began his accounting training at Browne’s Business School, a historic vocational institution located in downtown Brooklyn.

His first job after earning his certificate was at Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation. Throughout his 40-year career as an accountant, he worked in the accounting departments of notable institutions such as the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the Harlem School of the Arts. He ultimately retired from the Educational Alliance in New York City.

Before and during retirement, he was an independent tax preparer for friends, family and a few handpicked clients. Never one for pride to get in his way, he even worked as a gypsy cab driver in Brooklyn while between jobs.

Livi’s spiritual life was always front and center. When first arriving in New York City, he was a member of Salem United Methodist Church. He later joined Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church in Brooklyn often referred to as the Cathedral of Methodism.

He partnered for several decades with the late Rev. Dr. Thomas P. Grissom, Jr., the longtime pastor of Hanson Place. For many years, Livi used his financial gifts and talents in service as the chair of the Finance Ministry at Hanson Place. During his annual trips back home to St.Vincent, you could find him in Sunday service at Biabou Methodist Church.

There were two things that Livi valued deeply. He deeply loved his family and placed a high premium on family and friendship. He also held a strong commitment to education. He would often say that “the only thing more expensive than an education is the lack of an education.” His calm and unflappable demeanor was typified by his regular utterance of, “This too shall pass.”

While he would not consider himself a foodie, he had strong views on certain foods. He never once ate a hamburger or a slice of pizza. With complete certainty, he believed that catfish was a gutter fish and most importantly, that cereal was not a real breakfast. If the morning meal wasn’t hot, you could call it what you want – but it was not breakfast.

Some fun facts: he walked everywhere, long before counting steps became a trend. He was actually an excellent tailor and was famous for his khaki pants. If there is a photo of him in a pair of blue jeans, it is without a doubt, AI. He was not keen on manual labor and as a child he would pay a friend to fetch firewood if tasked to do it by his mother. He was a fan of literature and in particular Rudyard Kipling and the poem, “IF.”

Livi is survived by his six children – Ann Marie Garrick, Sharon Pyfrom (Ricardo), Owen Garrick, Sean Garrick (Alicia), Lynn Garrick, and Patrice Gouin (Arthur). He is also survived by 18 grandchildren and four great grandchildren, sister-in-law Millicent Williams and scores of cousins, nieces, nephews and devoted family in the United States, the Caribbean, Bermuda and the United Kingdom.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of George Garrick, please visit our floral store.