Hesped.org — George Myrants

Words by

Sandy Myrants Wife

Today we gather to remember and honour my beloved husband, George. It is impossible to capture an entire life in words, especially a life as rich, courageous, generous, and quietly remarkable as his, but I will try, with love.

George’s story began in Berlin in 1928. His early childhood was overshadowed by the rise of Nazi Germany, and in 1939, when he was just ten years old, he and his family escaped that darkness. Their long and uncertain journey brought them to the safety of Australia, where George began a new life with all the resilience and hope that would define him throughout his years.

career in patents, trademarks, copyright and design law

After completing school, he attended the Melbourne Institute of Technology and graduated with a degree in Engineering. His first job, quite unexpectedly, was in Patent Law and there he discovered a professional passion that would guide him for decades. He loved the way it blended his analytical mind with his respect for creativity and innovation.

In Australia he met his first wife, Renny, and after moving to England together they formed a beautiful family. Their move allowed George to expand his career in patents, trademarks, copyright and design law. He became not only respected in his industry but admired for his integrity, diligence, and remarkably clear mind. During these years, he also became a proud member of the Royal Institute of Linguists, reflecting his lifelong love of language.

George and Renny were blessed with three wonderful children; Peter, Vivian, and Stuart, each of whom he adored. Their happiness and their achievements were central to his heart. When George was widowed at fifty-six he carried that loss with the quiet dignity that was so characteristic of him. Yet even in the face of grief, he continued to live with purpose, kindness, and generosity.

volunteered tirelessly with Round Table and Rotary

George loved helping people. He volunteered tirelessly with Round Table and Rotary, giving his time, his wisdom, and his warm presence to anyone who needed it. Helping others wasn’t merely something he did. It was deeply woven into who he was.

After Renny passed, George became involved in the local Synagogue. It was there that he and I first crossed paths. And after a very short time, so very George in its sincerity and certainty, he proposed. From that moment on, we shared many happy years together, deeply involved in Rotary, frequently hosting foreign exchange students, and building a life filled with meaning and companionship.

But George’s passions extended far beyond work and service. He loved classical music, the theatre, and the thrill of travelling the world. Together, we journeyed to every continent except Africa. I treasure the photos we took, each one a reminder of the beautiful places we explored, the extraordinary cultures we encountered, and the joy of simply being together. These memories will stay with me always.

George’s beloved Sydney stories

One of the great delights of George’s later life was spending time with our combined families; our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Many of them were lucky enough to grow up with George’s beloved “Sydney stories,” those magical tales he pulled from his back pocket whenever a child was misbehaving. Sydney the Saviour, with his good traits and gentle wisdom, always managed to guide the children back to kindness. Those stories were more than entertainment, they were gifts of guidance and love, moral lessons wrapped in imagination, passed down from a man with endless patience and creativity.

His compassion, his quiet strength, and his unfailing generosity touched everyone he met

More than anything else, what I want to say about George is this: he was a loving, kind, thoughtful man, and I was profoundly blessed to share my life with him. His compassion, his quiet strength, and his unfailing generosity touched everyone he met. He leaves behind a legacy of goodness, of gentle wisdom, and of a heart that never stopped caring.

Darling George, may you rest in peace, knowing how deeply you were loved, by me, by our families, by our friends, and by all whose lives were brightened by your presence.

Words by

Peter Myrants Son

You all knew the man I called Dad and the family and I thank you all for coming today.

Dad studied in Australia after emigrating from Germany, just before the outbreak of war, qualifying as an electrical engineer. At the age of nineteen, he lost his younger brother Ralph (only sixteen himself), discovering his body, something that must have traumatised Dad and of which he seldom spoke.

He met our Mum, Renate, known as Renny to her friends, on a blind date and they travelled together to England to be married. Setting up home in Barnet and then our family home in Kenton in Harrow, Dad was father to myself Peter, Vivian and Stuart. We had a strict Germanic upbringing, born to German parents and grandparents, but also a loving one.

a workaholic

Dad was a workaholic and our childhood was one that saw little of him as he built up his own business. In 1958 he formed Trademark Consultants Ltd practising trademarks and patents, having left D.Young & Co, a London firm, as well as forming Lexique Ltd where he used his fluency in German for technical translation work.

I accompanied Dad at the tender age of sixteen on one of his many trips to Germany when working with a German trademark company where I got an early taste of alcohol at the Munich beer festival (as Dad later discovered!).

Dad did find time to teach me to play chess and bridge as well as some unconventional methods to learn algebra, for which I thank him. I have fond memories of the bridge sessions being played at my grandparents’ house in Hendon.

Dad found time to get involved with the community

Despite his busy work life, Dad found time to get involved with the community and demonstrate his generosity to others as well as his family.

In between working, he gave up his time to be, amongst many other roles, Treasurer for the synagogue and school parents association, joint manager of the synagogue junior football team – Miny Minors. He was an active member of Harrow Round Table and Rotary, for which he became Chairman and President respectively. I fondly remember standing on cold December days, outside Sopers in Harrow, rattling collection tins to help the less fortunate in the community. It was that experience that incentivised me to follow in his footsteps with Round Table.

His big claim to fame was meeting Maggie Thatcher, a photo of which captured the moment and his authorship of a book entitled Industrial Designs, which most family members have a signed copy by the author himself but I suspect never read from cover to cover!

he eventually stopped working at the ripe old age of ninety-two

An office extension was built at home and then a loft conversion saw him aspire to greater heights. Initially supported by Janet, a secretary who followed him from the London firm and then his loyal staff members Elaine and Leonie (and latterly Vivian) who joined him in support roles and managed to keep him on the straight and narrow until he eventually stopped working at the ripe old age of ninety-two due to failing health.

We lost Mum in 1984 at the tender age of fifty-four but he was blessed to meet Sandy a year later and re-marry, setting up home in Harrow Weald together.

He adopted Alyson and Chaim and their respective families, as his own flesh and blood and over the years became a proud Dad, grandfather and great grandfather. Dad and Sandy were happily married for thirty-nine years and made special memories together.

Dad continued to work long hours but Sandy managed to tear him away sufficiently for them to enjoy a very active social life, inside and outside of Rotary, with their extensive circle of friends and some great holidays together.

Sandy, thank you for caring for Dad and giving him a happy second marriage. You brought the best out of him despite the often failed efforts to get him to stop working so hard.

A true gentleman to the end

Dad was blessed with the best of health for around ninety years before his health began to fail, something that he wasn’t used to. When vascular dementia was diagnosed, it became clear to the family what a cruel and debilitating disease it is. Sandy and Dad’s life changed dramatically when the reluctant decision was made to end the live-in support he was receiving at home and move him to a care home where medical care was on hand.

He spent his final year at Burford House in Chorleywood (one of their favourite residents) who despite the dementia and the challenges it presented, said he remained kind and polite, a characteristic that followed him throughout his long life.

We celebrated his ninety-seventh birthday only a week before his passing and despite the disease taking a cruel grip and curtailing meaningful conversation, he continued to always find the ability to thank his visitors for coming.

A true gentleman to the end. Dad, you will be missed for being the caring, loving and generous husband, Dad, grandfather, great grandfather and friend to so many. Your memories will live on through us all.

Words by

Vivian Myrants-Wilson Daughter

We are all so blessed to have had you in our lives for as long as we did.

Your love, wisdom, selflessness and gentle spirit will stay with us forever.

Thank you for every story, every smile, and every moment you shared with us.

Your memory is a gift we will always carry in our hearts.

Love you forever. Xx

Words by

Alyson Aviv and Chaim Bacon Step-Children

I am honoured to stand here today to speak about George, Avraham ben Aharon, a man who became an essential and cherished part of my life, Chaim’s life, and of all our lives. He was a devoted husband, father, stepfather, grandfather, and step-grandfather, and each of us here carries a unique relationship with him. Today, we honour all of those relationships with love and respect. His presence enriched us all.

he let his generosity express itself quietly through action

George’s Hebrew name, Avraham, represents chesed, lovingkindness. And that was his way; quiet, steady, generous. Whether through his work as a Rotarian or through the countless small acts of care he showed in daily life, his instinct was always to help and to uplift those around him. A teaching from Pirkei Avot describes him so beautifully:

הִלֵּל הָיָה אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת. אֱמוֹר מְעָט וַעֲשֵׂה הַרְבֵּה.

“Hillel would say: Receive every person with a pleasant countenance. Say little and do much.”

George lived these words. He greeted others with warmth, and he let his generosity express itself quietly through action.

His life also contained the story of Am Yisrael, resilience in the face of hardship. In 1939, as a child, he escaped Nazi Germany on one of the last boats to leave. That narrow escape brought him to Australia, where he rebuilt his life with extraordinary courage and determination. Like our ancestor Avraham, he journeyed far and created something new, something lasting, something rooted in hope. The family he built became his joy and his proudest legacy. To all his biological children and grandchildren, and to all of us who joined the family later, he offered love that was genuine and generous in its own way.

George darling

My Mom always called him “George darling” and one of our family memories is that my daughter, Shira, thought that was his name and called him Grandpa George Darling. And with that thought, we will all remember him as a darling, kind, warm and generous man. May the memory of George, Avraham ben Aharon be a blessing.

May his memory inspire each of us to greet others with kindness, to act with generosity, and to walk in the path of Avraham, the path of lovingkindness.

יהי זכרו ברוך. May his memory be a blessing.