Shikry George Sassin was born in 1868 in Mount Lebanon, Zahle, Syria (Lebonon today) Very little is know about his family. Shikry first went to Australia for 3 years before settling in Capetown. He arrived on a ship from England in 1893. Shikry married Laura Isabella Sullivan (marraige date to be confirmed)

There are records in South Africa in very early 1900's of Shikry Sassin and Joseph Sassin asking for Neutralisation papers for South Africa and there are also records of a Zachary Sassin living in Cape town Close to Shikry in 1902 taken from the voters register. In the 1902 voters role it shows Shikry as being a fruit merchant.

In the Early 1900's Shikry got involved in the Clifton on sea hotel. It is still not clear whether he owned it on his own at any point in time but he did co own it with a Mr Mills as there were a few court cases involving Mr Mills and Mr Sassin against others. Mr Mills did own the hotel in 1905 when a mud slide ruined a section of the house and Mr Sassin is known to have bought it in 1905. In a book called the Lions Head there is a picture of Shikry and Mr Mills and family on the grounds of the Clifton Hotel.

He had something to do with the Vryberg hotel and in 1920 sold the liquor license to a Mr Ennor. He then moved to the hotel in Tweefontein. In 1930 Shikry owned the central Hotel at Koffiefontein. Koffiefontein was owned by De beers mining company and there are registers acknowledging his payment of rates. In 1934 the hotel was sold to Bertha Lvirsky and in 1939 to Minnie Apple.

We do know Laura Isabella died in Koffiefontein in 1931 and was buried there.

Shikry moved to Durban. He celebrated his 80th birthday in Durban. He died in Durban in 1950. No mention of his parents was made on the death notice. It has been said that he spoke arabic on his death bed.