A highly decorated soldier and an active member of Free Mason Society lt Col Girdhar Gopal Agarwal (VSM) breathed his last at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon on Thursday. A keen socialite, Agarwal who had made Dehradun his abode after his retirement from the army is survived by two daughters.
Born in an aristocratic Marwari family of Ajmer in 1937, Agarwal was a keen sports enthusiast. After completing his studies, he joined Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun and was commissioned in Army Service Corps (ASC) in 1959.His colleagues in the Army remember him as a very efficient officer who was great sportsperson and played all kinds of games except Volley Ball. He got married 1965. His wife Shail Agarwal was the great grand daughter of erstwhile Raja of Jagadhari in Haryana.
lt Col Agarwal took part in the wars of 1962, 1965 and 1971 and was conferred Vishist Sewa Medal (VSM) by then President of India Giani Jail Singh on August 31 1983 for his distinguished services.
The son- in- law of lt Col Agarwal, Sudarshan Sharma who is a Chartered Accountant (CA) said that Agarwal was a third generation mason. In 1968, he was W.M. of lodge ligonier no 51 in Ajmer. In the year 1993 he joined lodge Shivalik Dr Durgaprasad in Dehradun and held various ranks in the Free Mason Society from time to time in the regional as well as local Dehradun lodge. Sharma said that lately he was bestowed the rank of R.W. Bro. of Craft lodge, Past assistant Regional Grand master of Northern region. He was reigning master of Mark lodge and chapter of Northern Region.
His daughters Shivani and Reena fondly remember him as a caring father, an immaculate gentleman and a down-to-earth person.