In Brief
- Spiritual Pioneer: Born in Belmont and raised in the UK, Garfield King returned to the Caribbean in 1980 to help establish the Brahma Kumaris across the region, introducing concepts like meditation and karma to the mainstream lexicon.
- Voice of Inspiration: Despite having no prior background in media, he scripted and hosted pioneering spiritual radio programmes in Trinidad, Barbados, St Lucia, and Guadeloupe, leading to the creation of a lasting Prison Ministry.
- Broadcasting Stalwart: He went on to enjoy a distinguished 28-year career at Radio 97.1FM in Trinidad and Tobago, rising to News and Assistant Station Director, while running a communications business with his wife, Barbara.
- A Gentleman’s Legacy: Remembered as a devoted father and a man of quiet brilliance, Mr King passed away last week, leaving behind a profound legacy of peace, morality, and public service.
Garfield King was originally from Belmont. As a child, he migrated to the UK with his parents. In 1977, at the age of 23, he began attending the Brahma Kumaris (BK) meditation classes at 98 Tennyson Road, NW London.
He soon moved into a shared flat, living communally with a diverse brotherhood of BK flatmates from every continent. London in the ’70s and ’80s was a melting pot of nationalities going through a turbulent transitional period of economic shifts and social changes—an era that saw ‘old-school’ lifestyles give way to individualism and pop culture.
They were all young adults who balanced their day jobs with voluntary service to the BK organisation—handing out flyers, cooking, acting, cleaning, and organising events almost 24/7. On one occasion at a public-outreach event, the scheduled speaker was a no-show. When asked to fill in, Garfield took the stage, and so began his public-speaking career. He demonstrated quiet courage and a willingness to serve without needing to be in the spotlight.
At the end of 1979, during his third trip to Madhuban, the BK headquarters in India, he read a newspaper article about Trinidad and started a conversation with Dadi Janki, his spiritual guide. She decided that he should return to his homeland and serve the Caribbean.
She told him, “Go as an ambassador of God, and give them the message to renounce the vices, which only result in sorrow, and elevate the mind to the highest stage of soul and God consciousness through daily study and the practice of Raja Yoga meditation.”
He arrived in Trinidad in 1980 and joined forces with Sister Hemlata, who had landed a year earlier from India with the same mission. Mr Ram Kirpalani offered them a five-minute radio segment to promote the value-based lifestyle they were advocating. Though neither a writer nor a radio announcer, Garfield started scripting and presenting ‘Discover Yourself, Transform Your World,’ on Radio 610. It ran for eight years and propelled the Brahma Kumaris into the national consciousness.
He soon found himself answering hundreds of letters from listeners across Trinidad, Grenada, and the wider region. Later, the then-Commissioner of Prisons, Mr Michael Hercules, visited on behalf of a prisoner on death row who followed the programme on air, requesting that the centre provide moral support to the incarcerated population. This resulted in the BKs setting up a Prisons’ Programme that continues to this day. People would regularly turn up at the centre just to see Garfield. He met everyone, always dignified, reserved, and attentive. Some stayed on and became lifelong students.
In 1981, he was sent to Barbados, where there was initial pushback against the new meditation centre. Though the message of the BKs is universal, its delivery came with a strong Eastern flavour. Alongside the then-In-Charge, Sister Chandra, Brother Garfield approached the media. He created a new feature, ‘Just a Moment,’ which aired on Barbados Rediffusion and changed the local landscape. Barbadians from both the private and government sectors began visiting the centre. Some stayed on and now carry on the centre’s activities. A third series was later created for St Lucia entitled ‘Tips for Better Living.’ These positive messages for personal development spread across the Caribbean islands, including Guadeloupe, where the script was translated and voiced over the radio in French. It changed the way people viewed Eastern culture; words like meditation, vegetarian, and karma slowly entered the regional lexicon.
The venerable Mr King eventually settled with his family in Trinidad and Tobago, where he joined the fledgling Radio 97.1FM. Over 28 years, he advanced from reporter and announcer to News and Assistant Station Director. He also found time to run a communications-training and coaching business with his wife, Barbara.
Some time ago, I witnessed a routine moment at his home. Barbara brought in the children and said to them, ‘Before going to bed, say goodnight to your father.’ He tenderly received them one by one on his lap, gently embracing them, caressing their faces, kissing their heads, and whispering in their ears before gingerly handing them back to her. He was entirely natural and at ease in his role as a loving father. The authenticity and depth of his care were such that, even to an unintended bystander, it left a lasting impression.
A week ago, Mr Garfield Stephen King passed away. He was the quintessential Caribbean gentleman in the best sense of the word—humane, quietly brilliant, and the embodiment of morality. A true ambassador for world peace, may the blessings of God and his people accompany him on his onward journey.
Vijai Sadal is a student of the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Centre. He can be reached at vijai@pepesmkt.com
