The leading business newspaper in Puerto Rico, Caribbean Business, has paid tribute to a highly successful and generous Maltese businessman who settled in Puerto Rico 50 years ago and who died last year.
Charles Darmanin, who would have been 80 this year, owned Capitol Transportation, the moving and storage company he founded in 1956 and which grew to be Puerto Rico's largest.
Caribbean Business reported thus:
"Darmanin shared his good fortune among the many organisations devoted to community improvement and to social and economic progress in Puerto Rico...
"On a personal level, Darmanin's generosity was known to many in need. He helped numerous employees of Capitol with the education of their children, paid hospital bills, provided for many during hard times and was generous with bonuses, all unpublicised acts of philanthropy."
Mr Darmanin also played a part in the formation of Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, the newspaper said.
Caribbean Business reported that one day in 1999, businessman and opera fan Guillermo Martinez told Mr Darmanin that with Placido Domingo as a partner, the Operalia Competition was to be held that year in Puerto Rico, and that, for the first time, a young aspirant from Malta would be participating.
Operalia is a leading international contest for opera singers in the early stages of their career.
When asked by The Times about his relationship with Mr Darmanin, Mr Calleja recalled: "I had the enormous pleasure and honour of meeting Charles Darmanin for the first time in Puerto Rico in 1999 after being accepted by the administration of Operalia to take part in their competition for the second time, having withdrawn the previous year in Hamburg due to an indisposition.
"From the minute we landed in Puerto Rico Charles and Josephine pampered both Paul Asciak, my tutor, who had flown with me for the event, and myself doing everything to make us feel at home and comfortable. No doubt this had an extremely positive effect on my performance in the Operalia Competition.
"Needless to say I was very moved when, at the end of the competition, Charles presented me with the kind token of $1,000. It was a gesture that I still remember and cherish to this very day.
"Due to my increasingly hectic schedule, contact after the Operalia was sporadic and I kept in touch with the Darmanins through my tutor Paul who from time to time corresponded with them keeping them informed about my progress.
"More recently word reached me that Charles wasn't in the best of health and I was very saddened when I heard of his death last July which was a great loss for his family, friends and the whole community at Puerto Rico," Mr Calleja said.