George Seymour Gabb M.B.E. (February 28, 1928 – March 1, 2007) was a

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

an artist, sculptor, writer and entertainer.

Career

Gabb was born in

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...

and educated no further than primary school. At age 13, he began to take up the arts and soon gained a following as a sculptor. Among his many creations are "The Sleeping Giant", a version of which is on the Belize $100 currency note, and the "Freedom of Thought" sculpture at the entrance to the city of

Belmopan Belmopan () is the capital city of Belize. Its population in 2010 was 16,451. In addition to being the smallest capital city in the continental Americas by population, Belmopan is the third-largest settlement in Belize, behind Belize City and S ...

. He also had many other passions, and during his career he engaged in performance and entertainment, as well as writing poetry and plays. Some of his work in this area included "The Naked eye", a collection of poems and proverbs, and "Yellowtail", a play first performed in the 1960s. In 1974 he was awarded an M.B.E for his services by the British Empire.

Family

Gabb had six children, Elena, Antonio, Rupert, George, Jose, and Deirdre. George was chair of the CIS department in the School of Computer and Engineering Technologies at

Miami Dade College Miami Dade College (Miami Dade, MDC or Dade) is a public college in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1959, it has a total of eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest college in the Florida College ...

, North Campus in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

. His son, Rupert, was a prominent architect in Belize, designing and building multiple luxury resorts in the island of San Pedro, Belize. He and his son Rupert also collaborated to create the Belmopan Regional Language Center Monument. His niece, Margaret Gabb-McKenzie, was the first female Chief Magistrate of Belize.Margaret Gabb McKenzie appointed Chief Magistrate
", LoveFM

References

1928 births 2007 deaths Belizean artists Belizean poets Belizean dramatists and playwrights 20th-century poets 20th-century dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Belizean writers Members of the Order of the British Empire {{CentralAm-sculptor-stub