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{{Short description|Indian diplomat and writer (1929–2016)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2026}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = George Menezes
| native_name = Jorge de Menezes
| image = George Menezes.jpg
| birth_date = 10 April 1929
| birth_place = [[Byculla]], [[Bombay]], British India
| death_date = 9 September 2016
| death_place = [[Bandra]], [[Mumbai]], India
| occupation = Author, diplomat, corporate executive, [[indian air force]] officer
| parent = [[Armando Menezes]]
| relatives = [[Armida Fernandez]] (sister){{br}}[[Nicolau Menezes]] (uncle)
| notableworks = ''Pardon, Your Middle is Showing''{{br}}''One Sip at a Time''
}}

'''George Menezes''' (10 April 1929 – 9 September 2016) was an Indian author, former [[Indian Air Force]] officer, diplomat, and corporate executive. Known for his works in political and social satire, he has also held significant positions within the Catholic Church's lay leadership organizations.

==Early life and education==
Menezes was born on 10 April 1929 at Eugenes Maternity Home in [[Byculla]], [[Bombay]].<ref name="TOIFaceted">{{Cite news |title=George Menezes, a multi-faceted man |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/george-menezes-a-multi-faceted-man/articleshow/54283088.cms |access-date=2025-12-18 |work=The Times of India |date=2016-09-12}}</ref> He is the eldest son of [[Armando Menezes]], an English scholar, poet, and critic active in the 1940s, and Matilda Rebello e Menezes.<ref name="TOIFaceted" /><ref name="VazEminentGoans">{{Cite book |last=Vaz |first=J. Clement |author-link=J. Clement Vaz |url=http://archive.org/details/profilesofeminen0000vazj |title=Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present |date=1997 |publisher=New Delhi : Concept Pub. Co. |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-81-7022-619-2}}</ref>

He spent much of his childhood in [[Dharwad]], where his father was the principal of Karnatak College.<ref name="TOIFaceted" /> A notable event in his youth occurred at the age of 13, when he was imprisoned for a day for his role in burning a railway station during a protest against the [[British Raj]].<ref name="TOIFaceted" />

Menezes attended [[Karnatak College]] in Dharwad, where he earned an Honours degree in English Literature and French. He later obtained a post-graduate diploma in Business Management. His education continued internationally with training in industrial psychology in [[West Germany]] and an internship in behavioral sciences at the National Training Laboratory in the United States.<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

==Career==
===Military and diplomatic service===
Menezes served in the Indian Air Force until 1963, attaining the rank of [[Squadron Leader]]. During his service, he spent four years as an Assistant Air Attache at the [[Embassy of India, Paris|Indian Embassy]] in Paris. Notably, in 1961, he served as the Liaison Officer to Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] during Nehru's tour of Europe.<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

===Corporate and academic career===
Following his military service, Menezes entered the corporate sector as the Personnel Director for Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd. In this role, he oversaw personnel and training operations for the company across India and South-East Asia. After retiring from Hoechst, he became the associate director of the [[Xavier Institute of Management]].<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

Menezes has served as a visiting faculty member at several institutions, including the [[LBSNAA|National Academy of Administration]] in [[Mussoorie]], the [[National Academy of Direct Taxes|Indian Revenue Services (Direct Taxes)]] in [[Nagpur]], the [[Administrative Staff College of India|Administrative staff College]] in Maharashtra, the [[Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies|Jamnalal Bajaj Institute]], the [[Tata Institute of Social Sciences]], the [[Tata Management Training Centre]] in [[Pune]], and [[NITIE]] in [[Powai]], Bombay. He has also conducted training laboratories and programs for diverse groups, including clergy, students, teachers, and corporate entities.<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

He has been a member of the Board of Studies for Management at both the [[University of Mumbai|Bombay University]] and [[Goa University]]. Additionally, he has served on advisory councils for organizations such as the [[YMCA]], [[Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work]], [[Symbiosis International University|Symbiosis Institute]], and [[Sophia College for Women|Sophia College]].<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

==Writing and public speaking==
Menezes was a writer known for his humor and satire regarding social and political issues. His published books include ''Pardon, Your Middle is Showing'' (published by [[Orient Longman]]) and ''One Sip at a Time''.<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

He was a columnist for various publications. His columns included "Menezes' Musings" for ''[[Debonair (magazine)|Debonair]]'', "By George" for both ''[[The Indian Express]]'' and ''Sunday Mid-day'', and "Sugar and Spice" for ''Goa Today''. He also contributed centre-page articles to ''[[The Times of India]]''. Beyond writing, he was a public speaker known for employing satire.<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

Menezes was a polyglot, speaking eight languages: English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi, Marathi, [[Konkani language|Konkani]], and [[Kannada language|Kannada]].<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

''The Naked Liberal'' (2013) is an anthology of Menezes' writings that has been edited by [[Selma Carvalho]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-08-28 |title=Time traveller one George Menezes |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/time-traveller-one-george-menezes/articleshow/22115309.cms |access-date=2026-03-09 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

==Social and religious leadership==
Menezes held prominent roles in Catholic lay organizations. In 1984, he was appointed as a member of the [[Pontifical Council for the Laity]], an advisory body to the Pope, becoming one of only twenty-three members worldwide to hold the position at that time. He was also the first Indian member of the "Think Tank" for the Laity Office of the [[Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences]].<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

Additionally, he served as the first Asian Director of the International Council of Catholic Men and served a term as the President of the [[All India Catholic Union]].<ref name="VazEminentGoans" /> He was also the chairman of the Society for the Protection of Fundamental Rights and championed the cause of [[Dalit Christian]]s.<ref name="TOIFaceted" /> One of his notable achievements was organizing a rally for [[Mother Teresa]] in 1981 at the St. Andrew's school grounds in Bandra.<ref name="TOIFaceted" />

He was a member of the Bombay Management Association, the Indian Institute of Personnel Management, and the Indian Society for Training and Development.<ref name="VazEminentGoans" />

==Personal life==
Menezes married Thecla Mascarenhas on 30 December 1956 at St. Michael's Church in [[Mahim]], Mumbai. They had two children, a son named Christophe and a daughter named Anjali.<ref name="TOIFaceted" />

==Death==
Menezes died on 9 September 2016 at his home in [[Bandra]], [[Mumbai]], at the age of 87.<ref name="HeraldDeath">{{Cite news |title=George Menezes is no more |url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/goa/george-menezes-is-no-more/418666/ |access-date=2025-12-18 |work=O Heraldo}}</ref><ref name="TOIFaceted" /> His funeral was held at [[St. Andrew's Church, Mumbai]].<ref name="TOIFaceted" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menezes, George}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Writers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Writers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Indian diplomats]]

George Menezes - Revision history

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