George John Sophian was born in Calcutta on 25 September 1894, the son of John Sophianopoulos, a jute merchant. George changed his surname to Sophian in 1921. His mother was the first female in the line of descent of Emin of Armenia (1546). He attended St Xavier's College, Calcutta, and then came to England where he studied medicine at St Bartholomew's, St Mary's and the London Hospitals. He passed the Conjoint Diploma in 1919 but did not take his MB, BS until 1949. He held appointments as senior resident medical officer at Queen Charlotte's Hospital; assistant in the department of the diseases of women at Bart's; and obstetric consultant to the West Sussex County Council (EMS). He then became consultant in gynaecological surgery to St Mary's Hospital for Women, Plaistow, and consultant obstetric surgeon to West Ham Borough Council. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a co-founder of the Renal Association. He published two important monographs *Toxaemia of pregnancy* (Butterworths, 1952) and *Pregnancy nephrology* (Butterworths, 1971). In 1942 he married Miss Seager. It was his second marriage. He was fond of fishing and collecting paintings, particularly Dutch of the 17th century. He was also interested in oriental porcelain of the Kanghsi period, Chippendale furniture and antique Persian carpets. He died on 17 June 1975.