By Isaac Harold Gomes
Kolkata, April 8, 2024: George Anthony Gomes, a first-generation entrepreneur in Kolkata’s Bengali Catholic Community was laid to rest at Lower Circular Road cemetery on April 8. He died on April 3 at the age of 87.
Father Vincent Lobo was the main celebrant at the 3 pm funeral Mass at his parish – St Teresa’s Church, Moulali. Fathers George Anthony, the parish priest, Sunil Rosario, Kurien Emprayil, a Jesuit, and George Gomes from Bangladesh were the concelebrants.
Many attended the funeral service to pay their last respects.
He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
Gomes was born in Dhaka – then undivided India – on April 23, 1937.
He studied at Kolkata’s St Lawrence High School where he was a boarder. Being physically strong, he excelled in outdoor sports.
He was a great philanthropist and a patron of St Anthony’s Novena, an annual gala event in St Teresa’s Parish, Moulali.
He began his air-conditioning and refrigeration business to the great apprehension of his father Benedict who was a manager in Philips (Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation) Kolkata and had placed many Catholics of Kolkata in his organization. But his son was intrepid, had his own bend of mind and single-mindedly went about setting up his business, assuaging his father’s apprehensions of failure.
He would always think out of the box while taking his business decisions. In due course, he taught the tricks of his trade to his two son — Ignatius Pradeep and Mathias Ranjit Gomes.
After decades of steady growth in business, where he had the dealership of several international air-conditioner brands, he also founded Georgian Inn, a budget guesthouse/homestay at 1 Doctor Lane, Kolkata-14, in Central Kolkata.
The Catholic Community of Kolkata which comprises mostly traditional service-holders has lost a great first-generation entrepreneur and a silent philanthropist who provided hands-on training to many youths in his chosen profession and even offered placements to many of his apprentices.