2005: Obituaries
MaltaMedia remembers a number of people who passed away during 2005. Their lives made a significant impact on the Maltese way of life.
KARMEN MIKALLEF BUĦAĠIAR
(Died: 23 January 2005)
Karmen Mikallef Buħaġiar was an active promoter of the Maltese language and literature, known for the long letters wrote to some of Malta's best poets and authors.
She was born in Alexandria, Egypt on 3 April 1920 and studied languages in Alexandria. Encouraged by Ivo Muscat Azzopardi, Mikallef Buħaġiar started promoting the Maltese language early in life. Between 1956 and 1958 she went to London with her family but her love towards the Maltese language kept getting stronger.
Between 1940 and 1961 she wrote around 140 letters to Dun Karm Psaila, Malta's national poet. After his death, she worked hard to establish Dun Karm's legacy. Mikallef Buħaġiar collaborated with numerous Maltese authors who wrote books about Dun Karm or collected his poems. On her initiative, Professor Oliver Friggieri collected all the poems in one volume, which was published by Klabb Kotba Maltin in 1979 entitled Dun Karm: Poeżiji Miġbura. Friggieri also edited a book featuring the letters Dun Karm wrote to Karmen Mikallef Buħaġiar.
She died at St Mary's Home in Tooting, London.
ALFRED BUHAGIAR
(Died: 2 February 2005)
Alfred Buhagiar was a trade unionist and Vice President of the Confederation of Maltese Trade Unions for 30 years.
He was born in Floriana on 6 January 1938. Buhagiar studied at the Lyceum and at St Michael's Training College. He started working as a teacher in 1956.
In 1964 he was appointed President of the Social Assistance Secretariat Malta Catholic Action. Buhagiar was also a member on the Anti Cancer Society Executive Council from 1986 onwards, Secretary of the Caritas Council from 1968 to 1977, President of the Teachers’ Movement Council from 1974 to 2004 and Vice President of the CMTU from 1978 till 2004.
JOE JAMES FARRUGIA
(Died: 2 February 2005)
A renowned carnival enthusiast, Joe James Farrugia was also a singer, a lyricist and a TV presenter.
He was born in Paola on 4 May 1944. From an early age he showed a particular attachment to Maltese songs and to the Carnival festivities. He took part in several Carnival competitions and won numerous awards.
He hosted TV and radio shows about Maltese songs and other aspects of Maltese popular culture.
Joe James was also a singer and a lyricist. Some of his songs were extremely popular in Malta. These include Il-Bużnanna, Toninu s-Sajjied, Xi Sħana, Hawn Boċċa, Malta Rebbiegħa and Il-Bużnannu Għadu Jrid.
Throughout the 1990s he frequently performed with popular singer Freddie Portelli, with whom he shares the same birthday.
TOMMY VANCE
(Died: 6 March 2005)
Tommy Vance was a former BBC Radio 1 DJ who was best known in Malta around 1981 when he was invited to open the Dewdrops Discoteque in Paceville.
Famous for his gravelly voice, Vance was born in Oxford and started his radio career in Los Angeles. Before working at BBC Radio 1 for 15 years, he was also one of the DJs on pirate station Radio Caroline. He was also a regular TV presenter on Top of the Pops, as well as a continuity announcer for BBC Two. Most recently, Vance presented the Friday Night Rock show on digital channel VH1 and his own show on digital radio station Virgin Classic Rock.
During his visit to Malta in 1981 he was also a guest host on Noel Mallia's Rock File on Radio Malta.
Sr. LUCIA de JESUS DOS SANTOS
(Died: 13 March 2005)
Sr Lucia was one of the three Portugese children who witnessed the Fatima apparitions, which dominated Marian belief throughout most of the 20th century.
Lucia de Jesus dos Santos, who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary at Fatima in 1917, died at the age of 97. Maltese devotion towards Our Lady of Fatima is very noticeable. In Malta, Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated on 13th May by the Parish Church at Gwardamangia, which is run by the Dominican Fathers.
Lucia was the eldest of the three children who experienced the vision of Our Lady. Her cousins Jacinta and Francisco died in 1919 and 1920 of respiratory disease, at a young age, soon after the revelation of the six apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Jacinta and Francisco were beatified in the year 2000, at about the same time of the first Maltese beatifications with Dun Gorg Preca, Adeodata Pisani and Nazju Falzon.
Dos Santos had also revealed that Our Lady of Fatima had told her about the attempted murder of Pope John Paul II. The attempted murder took place on 13th May 1981, one of the anniversaries of the 1917 apparitions, when Mehmet Ali Agca shot and wounded the pope at St Peter’s Square in Rome.
The Catholic Church built a shrine in Fatima, Portugal, which is visited regularly by millions of people from the entire world. In addition, the annual commemorations of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima is attended by about 100,000 people. Maltese and Gozitans are regularly amongst those who attend the commemorations.
ĠUZE' CASSAR PULLICINO
(Died: 13 March 2005)
Ġuze' Cassar Pullicino was a Maltese writer, librarian, and pioneering folklorist.
He was born at Birkirkara on 21st September 1921 and spent most of his childhood in Tarxien. He matriculated from the Royal University of Malta in 1938 and started studying Maltese as part of an academic course of literature in 1940, but had to abandon the course for family reasons. He took up employment with the government but still remained very active as a member of the Ghaqda tal-Malti and as assistant director of Leħen il-Malti.
Cassar Pullicino was council member of the Ghaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti and secretary of the Xirka għat-Tixrid ta' l-Ilsien Malti. He was also member of the Paola Literary and Debating society; editor, Melita Historica; editor Maltese Folklore Review; and honorary president of the Għaqda tal-Folklor from its foundation in 1964 until the time of his death.
The publication of significant Maltese linguistic and literary works bears the mark of Cassar Pullicino's tireless work to promote manuscripts that may otherwise have never reached the public. Among such publications Robert Mifsud Bonnici's Dizzjunarju and Erin Serracino Inglott's translation of the first part of Dante's La Divina Commedia. His personal literary output includes a collection of essays and short stories.
Cassar Pullicino's main academic contribution in the field of folklore. He became a member of London's Folklore Society in 1946. He published several articles and studies of a historical and biographical nature. His studies in Maltese, history and folklore are interrelated and his research in these areas is the hallmark of his literary career. He published the seminal Studies in Maltese Folklore (1976) and Studi di Tradizione Popolari Maltesi (1989), for which he collected texts reflecting the Maltese popular mentality and compared the material to similar texts from other Mediterranean areas.
Throughout his life Cassar Pullicino was honoured with various awards. In 1970 he received the Silver Medal for Merit from the Confederation of Civic Councils and in 1993 he was presented with the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika. He was awarded a British Council scholarship in librarianship to Leeds and London and he was the first Maltese person to be elected associate of the Library Association of London.
LOUIS SAPIENZA
(Died: 26 May 2005)
Louis Sapienza was one of Malta's leading book sellers and owner of Sapienza's Bookshop in Republic Street, Valletta which celebrates its 100 years anniversary this year.
He was born in Sliema on the 22 November 1935. As a young adult, he bought the bookshop in central Valletta from his father following a failed attempt to sell the shop to Mabel Strickland. He ran Sapienza's until 1985 when a company was formed that is now run by his sons James, Mark and Brian.
Louis Sapienza was affectionately known as a humane, religous and humble entrepreneur who always considered his clients as friends. Throughout his life, he refrained from involvement in political or civil associations with the exception of GRUFAN, a discussion group set up by Fr Hilary Tagliaferro in which he participated in recent years.
JOE FENECH
(Died: 25 May 2005)
Joe Fenech was a Maltese politician, representing the Nationalist Party, who served as a cabinet member for several years.
He was born in Birkirkara on 2 April 1931. He was the son of Dr Tommaso Fenech and Aida Mallia. His father was a lawyer and an MP for the Nationalist Party between 1927 and 1933. Fenech studied at St Aloysius College, at the University of Perugia and at the Royal University of Malta, where he graduated LL.D in 1955.
He was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1976, on behalf of the Nationalist Party. From then till 1981 he was the PN’s Parliamentary Group Secretary. He successfully contested the 1981, 1987 and 1992 general elections. In 1987 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary, responsible for offshore activities and maritime affairs.
In 1992 Fenech was appointed Minister for Justice and was responsible for a number of legal reforms. Outside politics, Fenech was the Vice President of the Malta Football Association and spent over 25 years President of the Duke of Connaught’s Own Band Club.
Joe Fenech was married to Marlene Ellul and they had three children, Mark, Tonio and Joanna.
POPE JOHN PAUL II
(Died: 2 April 2005)
Karol Jozef Wojtyla, known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometres from Cracow, on May 18, 1920. He was the second of two sons born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941.
He visited Malta in May 1990 and again in May 2001 for the first-ever Maltese beatification ceremony.
See MaltaMedia's special feature about the Papal Legacy from a Maltese Perspective.
JULIAN MANDUCA
(Died: 17 May 2005)
Julian Manduca was a journalist best known for his social and environmental activism.
He was born 2 July 1958 and became affectionately known as Iċ-Choppy in his youth. In 1995 he graduated with a degree in communication studies from the University of Malta, after working as an auditor and in the management team at Sapienza's Bookshop in Valletta. He eventually joined Newsworks Ltd as consultant editor, writing frequent pieces for MaltaToday as well as The Malta Financial and Business Times. He also worked with the ethical trade organisation Aw Tribu Tip Top. He coordinated the University Film Club for seven years and remained active within the leadership of the envirnomental group Friends of the Earth (Malta) until the time of his sudden death. He was also a founding member of other environmental groups in Malta, including Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent and Moviment għall-Ambjent.
Julian Manduca was married to the German actress Irene Christ. In 2002 they established the theatre company Actinghouse Productions, aiming to bring together theatre people from different European countries while producing high quality performances.
ALFRED GIGLIO
(Died: 23 May 2005)
Alfred Giglio was a senior press photographer with Allied Newspapers. He joined the company as a copy boy at the age of 14. He died at his office in Valletta after a routine news assignment for The Times. Giglio was 47 years old at the time of his death.
CARMELO XUEREB
(Died: 18 June 2005)
Carmelo Xuereb was an active priest who managed the Kalkara and Floriana parishes for many years before serving as Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Malta.
He was born in Gozo on 5 July 1916. Xuereb studied at the Seminary and was ordained priest in 1941. He became archpriest of the Kalkara Parish in 1943 and, together with Archbishop Gonzi, he worked hard to build a new Parish Church for Kalkara. He was appointed Floriana archpriest in 1960.
He was member of the Religious Broadcasting Authority between 1962 and 1964, member of the Board for National Feastivities between 1964 and 1966, member of the Board of Directors of King George V Hospital and Assistant Director of the Catholic Institute from 1968 to 1970.
In 1968 he was appointed member on the Bord of Directors of Il-Hajja and in 1971 he became the editor of Leħen is-Sewwa, published weekly by the Catholic Institute. In 1970, he was appointed head of the Council of the Administration of the Cathedral Chapter and Archbishop's Delegate for Female Religious. He was also member of the financial diocesan council to the Archdiocese.
He was secretary of the College of Parish Priests between 1948 and 1996. He was also installed Canon of the Cathedral Chapter, archdeacon and vicar-general.
Because of his long service to the Church, he was named Prelate ad hominem and Pronotary Apostolic and was also awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. He was also nominated Chaplain of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta.
DAVID CLUETT
(Died: 17 July 2005)
David Cluett was one of Malta’s most talented goalkeepers.
He was born on 2 August 1965 and started playing football at a very young age. While studying at St Aloysius College he played for the first time as a goalkeeper.
He joined Melita for the 1979-1980 season and stayed with Melita until 1986. From 1986 to 1999 Cluett was at his very best with Floriana FC, winning all the awards that a Maltese club could win.
He was also the goalkeeper of Malta’s national team.
Cluett then joined Gozo FC for a season and then moved to Birkirkara, only to return to Floriana FC a few months later.
MAURICE AGIUS
(Died: 6 August 2005)
Trade unionist Maurice Agius was one of the founding members of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin (UHM).
He was born in Vittoriosa 10 January 1932. Agius studied at the Seminary and in 1951 joined the Civil Service.
He worked to establish the UHM and then served as its Secretary General from September 29, 1966 to May 14, 1998. In 1998 he was appointed Honorary Life President of the union.
From 1969 onwards Agius was also a Council member of the Confederation of Maltese Trade Unions. Between 1971 and 1974 he was the Secretary of the Civil Service Staff Organization.
Besides his activity in trade unionism Agius was also very active in sports organisations. Between 1954 and 1960 he was Council member of the Malta Football Association, representing Vittoriosa Stars.
Agius was married to Mary Calleja and they had two children, Sandra and Jacqueline.
PAWLU TANTI
(Died: 9 August 2005)
Pawlu Tanti was one of Malta’s top entertainers for many years and became involved in local politics later in life.
Tanti was born in Cospicua in 1936. From a very early age he started singing and taking part in plays.
Late in the sixties Pawlu Tanti founded the band “The Joymakers”. Tessie Farrugia accompanied the group for most of the seventies. In a span of around 15 years Pawlu Tanti recorded seven singles, the most popular were the smash hit Baby Ġoġo and Il-Pupa Tiegħi.
In 1994 he successfully contested the Cospicua Local Council elections as an independent councilor and became the locality’s first Deputy Mayor. Towards the end of his life he hosted a number of radio shows on community radio stations.
Pawlu Tanti was married to Angela Deguara and they had four sons, Paul Jr., Reuben, Ismael u Ephraim.
DOMINIC GRECH
(Died: 24 August 2005)
Dominic Grech was best known as the main singer-songwriter with The Tramps, Gozo's most acclaimed pop band.
He started singing with the group The Rosebells and Gemini 5 while still a student, founded The Tramps in Victoria, Gozo, in the mid-sixties. The pop group made its first studio recordings in 1974 with a line-up comprising Grech (lead vocals and guitar), Joe Cassar (keyboards and vocals), Spiro Sillato (vocals and bass guitar) and Carmel Portelli (vocals, drums and percussions). During that year The Tramps went on tour in Canada and repeated the same tour two years afterwards. Grech and the rest of The Tramps also toured Australia in 1981.
The Tramps made their last public appearance in December 2004, where they gave their traditional Christmas gig in Victoria. They had been doing this for about twenty five years.
The Tramps were undoubtedly the most popular Gozitan pop group ever. Their most successful recordings include Xemx and Inti Diamant. In the eighties they won the Malta Song Festival with Sinjur Ġib il-Paċi.
Dominic Grech was also a restaurateur and ran Exotique's Gozo outlet for a number of years. He died at the Gozo General Hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 55 year old.
HARRY EDWARDS
(Died: 28 August 2005)
Harry Edwards was one of Malta’s most talented pre-war footballers.
He was born in Cospicua on 6 November 1913 to a family that had football as its main passion. Together with two of his brothers he started playing football at a very young age. In 1931 he joined Hibernians in the amateur league. Then, when Hibernians were promoted to MFA’s first division league, he immediately became one of the squad protagonists. He made his debut with the main Hibernians squad on 28 January 1933 in the game against Sliema Rangers, won by Hibernians with three goals to one.
He then replaced Joe Nicholl as Sliema’s goalkeeper and stayed with Sliema until the 1938-1939 season. During this period Sliema won three championships, two FA Trophies and two Cassar Cups.
In 1939 Nicholl went to play with his hometown’s football squad - St George’s. That year the team won the Christmas Cup.
After the war he returned to play for Sliema Wanderers and Hibernians. He also played 16 games with Malta’s national football team.
RENO PORTELLI
(Died: 10 September 2005)
Reno Portelli was one of Gozo’s most popular goalkeepers.
He was born on 2 October 1960 and started playing football at a very young age. Although he played with numerous Gozitan football squads he will be remembered as Victoria Hotspurs’ all-time best. He made his debut with Victoria Hotspurs during the 1979-1980 season in the match against Sannat Lions. With the Spurs he won five Gozo championships and several other cups.
Portelli also played with Xaghra United, Xewkija Tigers, Oratory Youths, Marsalforn and Għarb Rangers.
SALVINU TELLUS
(Died: 14 October 2005)
Many remember Salvinu Tellus as Iz-Ziju Salv for his participation in children's programmes on the Rediffusion cable radio service and on TV.
Salvinu Tellus was born in Sliema on 26 September 1918. He studied at the Flores College, at the Lyceum and at the University of Malta. He joined the civil service in 1937 as a postal clerk. In 1949 he moved to the Income Tax Department. During World War II he worked at the Air Raid Warning System, the Telephone Department and the Home Guard.
Between 1946 and 1969 he produced and co-presented a number of children programmes on the Rediffusion cable radio service. From 1962 to 1963 Tellus also hosted similar shows on the newly-launched Malta Television service.
He was a member of the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, the Malta Atlantic Association and was a founding member and Vice President of the first Maltese organisation for the handicap. Tellus was also President of the Guardian Angel School for a number of years.
He was married to Rita Briffa and they had eight children. Following the death of his first wife, he married Mary Abela in 1982.
ANTOINE CAMILLERI
(Died: 23 November 2005)
Antoine Camilleri was one of Malta’s foremost post-war artists.
Camilleri was born in Valletta on 5 February 1922 and raised in Floriana.
He studied at the St Aloysius College and at the Art School. He furthered his studies at art academies in France, England and Italy.
He taught art at public schools for many years, until he was appointed Education Officer in 1976.
He had his works exhibited in London, Paris, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Tripoli, New York and Venice, besides numerous exhibitions in Malta.
In 1996 Camilleri was awarded the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (Medal for Services to Republic of Malta) and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 from the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. In recent years he resided at the St Vincent de Paule Hospital, the home for the elderly in Luqa.
Antoine Camilleri was married to Therese Tanti and they had five children, Gerard, Pierre, Antoine Paul, Mariel and Marthese.
MaltaMedia remembers a number of people who passed away during 2005. Their lives made a significant impact on the Maltese way of life.
KARMEN MIKALLEF BUĦAĠIAR
(Died: 23 January 2005)
Karmen Mikallef Buħaġiar was an active promoter of the Maltese language and literature, known for the long letters wrote to some of Malta's best poets and authors.
She was born in Alexandria, Egypt on 3 April 1920 and studied languages in Alexandria. Encouraged by Ivo Muscat Azzopardi, Mikallef Buħaġiar started promoting the Maltese language early in life. Between 1956 and 1958 she went to London with her family but her love towards the Maltese language kept getting stronger.
Between 1940 and 1961 she wrote around 140 letters to Dun Karm Psaila, Malta's national poet. After his death, she worked hard to establish Dun Karm's legacy. Mikallef Buħaġiar collaborated with numerous Maltese authors who wrote books about Dun Karm or collected his poems. On her initiative, Professor Oliver Friggieri collected all the poems in one volume, which was published by Klabb Kotba Maltin in 1979 entitled Dun Karm: Poeżiji Miġbura. Friggieri also edited a book featuring the letters Dun Karm wrote to Karmen Mikallef Buħaġiar.
She died at St Mary's Home in Tooting, London.
ALFRED BUHAGIAR
(Died: 2 February 2005)
Alfred Buhagiar was a trade unionist and Vice President of the Confederation of Maltese Trade Unions for 30 years.
He was born in Floriana on 6 January 1938. Buhagiar studied at the Lyceum and at St Michael's Training College. He started working as a teacher in 1956.
In 1964 he was appointed President of the Social Assistance Secretariat Malta Catholic Action. Buhagiar was also a member on the Anti Cancer Society Executive Council from 1986 onwards, Secretary of the Caritas Council from 1968 to 1977, President of the Teachers’ Movement Council from 1974 to 2004 and Vice President of the CMTU from 1978 till 2004.
JOE JAMES FARRUGIA
(Died: 2 February 2005)
A renowned carnival enthusiast, Joe James Farrugia was also a singer, a lyricist and a TV presenter.
He was born in Paola on 4 May 1944. From an early age he showed a particular attachment to Maltese songs and to the Carnival festivities. He took part in several Carnival competitions and won numerous awards.
He hosted TV and radio shows about Maltese songs and other aspects of Maltese popular culture.
Joe James was also a singer and a lyricist. Some of his songs were extremely popular in Malta. These include Il-Bużnanna, Toninu s-Sajjied, Xi Sħana, Hawn Boċċa, Malta Rebbiegħa and Il-Bużnannu Għadu Jrid.
Throughout the 1990s he frequently performed with popular singer Freddie Portelli, with whom he shares the same birthday.
TOMMY VANCE
(Died: 6 March 2005)
Tommy Vance was a former BBC Radio 1 DJ who was best known in Malta around 1981 when he was invited to open the Dewdrops Discoteque in Paceville.
Famous for his gravelly voice, Vance was born in Oxford and started his radio career in Los Angeles. Before working at BBC Radio 1 for 15 years, he was also one of the DJs on pirate station Radio Caroline. He was also a regular TV presenter on Top of the Pops, as well as a continuity announcer for BBC Two. Most recently, Vance presented the Friday Night Rock show on digital channel VH1 and his own show on digital radio station Virgin Classic Rock.
During his visit to Malta in 1981 he was also a guest host on Noel Mallia's Rock File on Radio Malta.
Sr. LUCIA de JESUS DOS SANTOS
(Died: 13 March 2005)
Sr Lucia was one of the three Portugese children who witnessed the Fatima apparitions, which dominated Marian belief throughout most of the 20th century.
Lucia de Jesus dos Santos, who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary at Fatima in 1917, died at the age of 97. Maltese devotion towards Our Lady of Fatima is very noticeable. In Malta, Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated on 13th May by the Parish Church at Gwardamangia, which is run by the Dominican Fathers.
Lucia was the eldest of the three children who experienced the vision of Our Lady. Her cousins Jacinta and Francisco died in 1919 and 1920 of respiratory disease, at a young age, soon after the revelation of the six apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Jacinta and Francisco were beatified in the year 2000, at about the same time of the first Maltese beatifications with Dun Gorg Preca, Adeodata Pisani and Nazju Falzon.
Dos Santos had also revealed that Our Lady of Fatima had told her about the attempted murder of Pope John Paul II. The attempted murder took place on 13th May 1981, one of the anniversaries of the 1917 apparitions, when Mehmet Ali Agca shot and wounded the pope at St Peter’s Square in Rome.
The Catholic Church built a shrine in Fatima, Portugal, which is visited regularly by millions of people from the entire world. In addition, the annual commemorations of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima is attended by about 100,000 people. Maltese and Gozitans are regularly amongst those who attend the commemorations.
ĠUZE' CASSAR PULLICINO
(Died: 13 March 2005)
Ġuze' Cassar Pullicino was a Maltese writer, librarian, and pioneering folklorist.
He was born at Birkirkara on 21st September 1921 and spent most of his childhood in Tarxien. He matriculated from the Royal University of Malta in 1938 and started studying Maltese as part of an academic course of literature in 1940, but had to abandon the course for family reasons. He took up employment with the government but still remained very active as a member of the Ghaqda tal-Malti and as assistant director of Leħen il-Malti.
Cassar Pullicino was council member of the Ghaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti and secretary of the Xirka għat-Tixrid ta' l-Ilsien Malti. He was also member of the Paola Literary and Debating society; editor, Melita Historica; editor Maltese Folklore Review; and honorary president of the Għaqda tal-Folklor from its foundation in 1964 until the time of his death.
The publication of significant Maltese linguistic and literary works bears the mark of Cassar Pullicino's tireless work to promote manuscripts that may otherwise have never reached the public. Among such publications Robert Mifsud Bonnici's Dizzjunarju and Erin Serracino Inglott's translation of the first part of Dante's La Divina Commedia. His personal literary output includes a collection of essays and short stories.
Cassar Pullicino's main academic contribution in the field of folklore. He became a member of London's Folklore Society in 1946. He published several articles and studies of a historical and biographical nature. His studies in Maltese, history and folklore are interrelated and his research in these areas is the hallmark of his literary career. He published the seminal Studies in Maltese Folklore (1976) and Studi di Tradizione Popolari Maltesi (1989), for which he collected texts reflecting the Maltese popular mentality and compared the material to similar texts from other Mediterranean areas.
Throughout his life Cassar Pullicino was honoured with various awards. In 1970 he received the Silver Medal for Merit from the Confederation of Civic Councils and in 1993 he was presented with the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika. He was awarded a British Council scholarship in librarianship to Leeds and London and he was the first Maltese person to be elected associate of the Library Association of London.
LOUIS SAPIENZA
(Died: 26 May 2005)
Louis Sapienza was one of Malta's leading book sellers and owner of Sapienza's Bookshop in Republic Street, Valletta which celebrates its 100 years anniversary this year.
He was born in Sliema on the 22 November 1935. As a young adult, he bought the bookshop in central Valletta from his father following a failed attempt to sell the shop to Mabel Strickland. He ran Sapienza's until 1985 when a company was formed that is now run by his sons James, Mark and Brian.
Louis Sapienza was affectionately known as a humane, religous and humble entrepreneur who always considered his clients as friends. Throughout his life, he refrained from involvement in political or civil associations with the exception of GRUFAN, a discussion group set up by Fr Hilary Tagliaferro in which he participated in recent years.
JOE FENECH
(Died: 25 May 2005)
Joe Fenech was a Maltese politician, representing the Nationalist Party, who served as a cabinet member for several years.
He was born in Birkirkara on 2 April 1931. He was the son of Dr Tommaso Fenech and Aida Mallia. His father was a lawyer and an MP for the Nationalist Party between 1927 and 1933. Fenech studied at St Aloysius College, at the University of Perugia and at the Royal University of Malta, where he graduated LL.D in 1955.He was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1976, on behalf of the Nationalist Party. From then till 1981 he was the PN’s Parliamentary Group Secretary. He successfully contested the 1981, 1987 and 1992 general elections. In 1987 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary, responsible for offshore activities and maritime affairs.
In 1992 Fenech was appointed Minister for Justice and was responsible for a number of legal reforms. Outside politics, Fenech was the Vice President of the Malta Football Association and spent over 25 years President of the Duke of Connaught’s Own Band Club.
Joe Fenech was married to Marlene Ellul and they had three children, Mark, Tonio and Joanna.
POPE JOHN PAUL II
(Died: 2 April 2005)
Karol Jozef Wojtyla, known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometres from Cracow, on May 18, 1920. He was the second of two sons born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941.
He visited Malta in May 1990 and again in May 2001 for the first-ever Maltese beatification ceremony.
See MaltaMedia's special feature about the Papal Legacy from a Maltese Perspective.
JULIAN MANDUCA
(Died: 17 May 2005)
Julian Manduca was a journalist best known for his social and environmental activism.
He was born 2 July 1958 and became affectionately known as Iċ-Choppy in his youth. In 1995 he graduated with a degree in communication studies from the University of Malta, after working as an auditor and in the management team at Sapienza's Bookshop in Valletta. He eventually joined Newsworks Ltd as consultant editor, writing frequent pieces for MaltaToday as well as The Malta Financial and Business Times. He also worked with the ethical trade organisation Aw Tribu Tip Top. He coordinated the University Film Club for seven years and remained active within the leadership of the envirnomental group Friends of the Earth (Malta) until the time of his sudden death. He was also a founding member of other environmental groups in Malta, including Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent and Moviment għall-Ambjent.
Julian Manduca was married to the German actress Irene Christ. In 2002 they established the theatre company Actinghouse Productions, aiming to bring together theatre people from different European countries while producing high quality performances.
ALFRED GIGLIO
(Died: 23 May 2005)
Alfred Giglio was a senior press photographer with Allied Newspapers. He joined the company as a copy boy at the age of 14. He died at his office in Valletta after a routine news assignment for The Times. Giglio was 47 years old at the time of his death.
CARMELO XUEREB
(Died: 18 June 2005)
Carmelo Xuereb was an active priest who managed the Kalkara and Floriana parishes for many years before serving as Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Malta.
He was born in Gozo on 5 July 1916. Xuereb studied at the Seminary and was ordained priest in 1941. He became archpriest of the Kalkara Parish in 1943 and, together with Archbishop Gonzi, he worked hard to build a new Parish Church for Kalkara. He was appointed Floriana archpriest in 1960.
He was member of the Religious Broadcasting Authority between 1962 and 1964, member of the Board for National Feastivities between 1964 and 1966, member of the Board of Directors of King George V Hospital and Assistant Director of the Catholic Institute from 1968 to 1970.
In 1968 he was appointed member on the Bord of Directors of Il-Hajja and in 1971 he became the editor of Leħen is-Sewwa, published weekly by the Catholic Institute. In 1970, he was appointed head of the Council of the Administration of the Cathedral Chapter and Archbishop's Delegate for Female Religious. He was also member of the financial diocesan council to the Archdiocese.
He was secretary of the College of Parish Priests between 1948 and 1996. He was also installed Canon of the Cathedral Chapter, archdeacon and vicar-general.
Because of his long service to the Church, he was named Prelate ad hominem and Pronotary Apostolic and was also awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. He was also nominated Chaplain of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta.
DAVID CLUETT
(Died: 17 July 2005)
David Cluett was one of Malta’s most talented goalkeepers.
He was born on 2 August 1965 and started playing football at a very young age. While studying at St Aloysius College he played for the first time as a goalkeeper.
He joined Melita for the 1979-1980 season and stayed with Melita until 1986. From 1986 to 1999 Cluett was at his very best with Floriana FC, winning all the awards that a Maltese club could win.
He was also the goalkeeper of Malta’s national team.
Cluett then joined Gozo FC for a season and then moved to Birkirkara, only to return to Floriana FC a few months later.
MAURICE AGIUS
(Died: 6 August 2005)
Trade unionist Maurice Agius was one of the founding members of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin (UHM).
He was born in Vittoriosa 10 January 1932. Agius studied at the Seminary and in 1951 joined the Civil Service.
He worked to establish the UHM and then served as its Secretary General from September 29, 1966 to May 14, 1998. In 1998 he was appointed Honorary Life President of the union.
From 1969 onwards Agius was also a Council member of the Confederation of Maltese Trade Unions. Between 1971 and 1974 he was the Secretary of the Civil Service Staff Organization.
Besides his activity in trade unionism Agius was also very active in sports organisations. Between 1954 and 1960 he was Council member of the Malta Football Association, representing Vittoriosa Stars.
Agius was married to Mary Calleja and they had two children, Sandra and Jacqueline.
PAWLU TANTI
(Died: 9 August 2005)
Pawlu Tanti was one of Malta’s top entertainers for many years and became involved in local politics later in life.
Tanti was born in Cospicua in 1936. From a very early age he started singing and taking part in plays.Late in the sixties Pawlu Tanti founded the band “The Joymakers”. Tessie Farrugia accompanied the group for most of the seventies. In a span of around 15 years Pawlu Tanti recorded seven singles, the most popular were the smash hit Baby Ġoġo and Il-Pupa Tiegħi.
In 1994 he successfully contested the Cospicua Local Council elections as an independent councilor and became the locality’s first Deputy Mayor. Towards the end of his life he hosted a number of radio shows on community radio stations.
Pawlu Tanti was married to Angela Deguara and they had four sons, Paul Jr., Reuben, Ismael u Ephraim.
DOMINIC GRECH
(Died: 24 August 2005)
Dominic Grech was best known as the main singer-songwriter with The Tramps, Gozo's most acclaimed pop band.
He started singing with the group The Rosebells and Gemini 5 while still a student, founded The Tramps in Victoria, Gozo, in the mid-sixties. The pop group made its first studio recordings in 1974 with a line-up comprising Grech (lead vocals and guitar), Joe Cassar (keyboards and vocals), Spiro Sillato (vocals and bass guitar) and Carmel Portelli (vocals, drums and percussions). During that year The Tramps went on tour in Canada and repeated the same tour two years afterwards. Grech and the rest of The Tramps also toured Australia in 1981.
The Tramps made their last public appearance in December 2004, where they gave their traditional Christmas gig in Victoria. They had been doing this for about twenty five years.
The Tramps were undoubtedly the most popular Gozitan pop group ever. Their most successful recordings include Xemx and Inti Diamant. In the eighties they won the Malta Song Festival with Sinjur Ġib il-Paċi.
Dominic Grech was also a restaurateur and ran Exotique's Gozo outlet for a number of years. He died at the Gozo General Hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 55 year old.
HARRY EDWARDS
(Died: 28 August 2005)
Harry Edwards was one of Malta’s most talented pre-war footballers.
He was born in Cospicua on 6 November 1913 to a family that had football as its main passion. Together with two of his brothers he started playing football at a very young age. In 1931 he joined Hibernians in the amateur league. Then, when Hibernians were promoted to MFA’s first division league, he immediately became one of the squad protagonists. He made his debut with the main Hibernians squad on 28 January 1933 in the game against Sliema Rangers, won by Hibernians with three goals to one.
He then replaced Joe Nicholl as Sliema’s goalkeeper and stayed with Sliema until the 1938-1939 season. During this period Sliema won three championships, two FA Trophies and two Cassar Cups.
In 1939 Nicholl went to play with his hometown’s football squad - St George’s. That year the team won the Christmas Cup.
After the war he returned to play for Sliema Wanderers and Hibernians. He also played 16 games with Malta’s national football team.
RENO PORTELLI
(Died: 10 September 2005)
Reno Portelli was one of Gozo’s most popular goalkeepers.
He was born on 2 October 1960 and started playing football at a very young age. Although he played with numerous Gozitan football squads he will be remembered as Victoria Hotspurs’ all-time best. He made his debut with Victoria Hotspurs during the 1979-1980 season in the match against Sannat Lions. With the Spurs he won five Gozo championships and several other cups.
Portelli also played with Xaghra United, Xewkija Tigers, Oratory Youths, Marsalforn and Għarb Rangers.
SALVINU TELLUS
(Died: 14 October 2005)
Many remember Salvinu Tellus as Iz-Ziju Salv for his participation in children's programmes on the Rediffusion cable radio service and on TV.
Salvinu Tellus was born in Sliema on 26 September 1918. He studied at the Flores College, at the Lyceum and at the University of Malta. He joined the civil service in 1937 as a postal clerk. In 1949 he moved to the Income Tax Department. During World War II he worked at the Air Raid Warning System, the Telephone Department and the Home Guard.
Between 1946 and 1969 he produced and co-presented a number of children programmes on the Rediffusion cable radio service. From 1962 to 1963 Tellus also hosted similar shows on the newly-launched Malta Television service.
He was a member of the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, the Malta Atlantic Association and was a founding member and Vice President of the first Maltese organisation for the handicap. Tellus was also President of the Guardian Angel School for a number of years.
He was married to Rita Briffa and they had eight children. Following the death of his first wife, he married Mary Abela in 1982.
ANTOINE CAMILLERI
(Died: 23 November 2005)
Antoine Camilleri was one of Malta’s foremost post-war artists.
Camilleri was born in Valletta on 5 February 1922 and raised in Floriana.
He studied at the St Aloysius College and at the Art School. He furthered his studies at art academies in France, England and Italy.
He taught art at public schools for many years, until he was appointed Education Officer in 1976.
He had his works exhibited in London, Paris, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Tripoli, New York and Venice, besides numerous exhibitions in Malta.
In 1996 Camilleri was awarded the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (Medal for Services to Republic of Malta) and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 from the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. In recent years he resided at the St Vincent de Paule Hospital, the home for the elderly in Luqa.
Antoine Camilleri was married to Therese Tanti and they had five children, Gerard, Pierre, Antoine Paul, Mariel and Marthese.