by Linda Straker
- Designed Grenada National Flag and National Motto
- George honoured in 2007 by Queen Elizabeth II with British Empire Medal
- Wrote memoir “Beyond Belief” in 2013
- A C George Road in Soubise, St Andrew named after him in 2012
Anthony Conrad George, the designer of the Grenada National Flag died in the United Kingdom, yesterday, the same day that Grenada celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence.
“On the day that Grenadians celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence, with the country adorned by thousands of flags of red, green and gold, of the nutmeg, and of the stars representing the 7 parishes, its creator, Anthony George, passed on to the ancestors,” wrote lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie on her Facebook page, as she paid tribute to the 86-year-old.
George was honoured in 2007 by Queen Elizabeth II with a British Empire Medal (BEM) and lived between the UK and Grenada. McKenzie loved hearing his stories of what inspired his design of the flag, wincing when he’d moan about its use on what he considered to be inappropriate clothing like bikinis and bandanas, and remonstrating whenever he saw his beloved design displayed the wrong way.
According to George’s 2013 memoir “Beyond Belief,” he envisioned for the national flag of Grenada an aesthetic that would stand the test of time, and placed the star at the centre to symbolise the sovereignty of our nation’s new beginning and beyond, while the other stars reference mariners who relied on them for navigation. Of the components of the national flag, George wrote that the “red border represents love, fervour, courage, aspiration and a burning desire to be free. The colour gold, in which yellow is sometimes substituted in (flag reproductions), represents the warmth of our character and friendliness ‘for which we’re renowned;’ our wisdom and fortitude, and of course, the beautiful sunshine we enjoyed all year round in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The colour green represents the richness of our soil, the fertility of our land, and the lush vegetation of our island’s agriculture.”
George was born in Carriacou on 7 January 1938, the second of 5 children. He moved with his parents to mainland Grenada in 1948 for schooling at St Andrew’s Roman Catholic School. George has appeared on stamps (2009), and received numerous awards including the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, for Community Services and Nation Building. His moment of great joy was when A C George Road in Soubise, St Andrew, was named for him in 2012.
“When someone dies, we often say their legacy will live on. George’s truly will if yesterday’s magical celebrations of Grenada 50, and the central role played by his design, is anything to go by,” McKenzie wrote.
The Rt. Hon D. Keith Mitchell, Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition in Grenada, paid tribute to Anthony C George, writing: “We mourn the loss of the visionary behind our National Flag, a true patriot whose legacy is eternally woven into Grenada’s identity. His contributions transcend art, embodying our unity and diversity. Our deepest condolences go out to his loved ones.”
To the family of the late MEB Anthony Conrad George, our National Flag Designer, we express our deepest sympathies in the hour of your grief, pain, and sorrow. We know that it is a difficult time for you, however, we pray for your strength, faith, and trust in the Lord.
All od Grenada, Carriacou, and Petit Martinique mourn with you.
May his soul rest in peace.
May His soul rest in peace and rise in glory.
Good morning, I am so sad to hear of the passing Anthony C George, it was my desire to see him as he was at the same Care as my beloved Daddy Lyman Degale, I really wished they had got to know each other. Sending my sincere condolences to all his family. Giving thanks to God for his life and attributes to Grenada love Mrs Sybil Sidebottom. from Somerset.