Today would have been our father's birthday, an occasion to celebrate together, but the Lord had other plans and called him to join Him in heaven.

For us this first birthday without him is another difficult day. His sudden demise brought about a great change in our lives; nothing will ever be the same again. The pain is still sore, we are still going through many different emotions: hurt, fear, anger, resentment. We miss him, the kind look in his eyes, his shy smile... He left an emptiness in our hearts that cannot be refilled. We regret not having told him often enough how much we loved him and needed him.

Looking back at his career, he dedicated his life working to improve the quality of life for workers, and for him workers had no boundaries. He set up the Union Haddiema Maghqudin together with his friend Salvino Spiteri and from a small section union he saw it grow into the second largest trade union in Malta.

He distinguished himself both locally and abroad for his courage and determination, a truly skilled and committed trade unionist, prepared to sacrifice his life to fight for workers' rights and ensure their dignity. Even in times of hard trouble, he always spoke about reconciliation and dialogue, a true gentleman to the core.

When he retired from the union scene he loved so much, he not only left a strong union but a situation much different to what he had found. He remained active in the social scene as a director at the ETC until a few months before his passing away, a member of the Industrial Tribunal and president of the Civil Service Sports Club. Until his last days in hospital he was working to see the club prosper.

We will never forget what he taught us and will always appreciate the values he left us. He was honoured to have been named a member of the National Order of Merit and Chev. OBSS in recognition of his contribution in Malta and abroad. The tributes paid to him were well merited. As his colleague from Eurofedop put it. "You have been rewarded for your life of service and you must be involved in some serious negotiations even now!".

The older we grow the more we realise how proud we are to be his daughters. We thank him for having been there for us. He felt guilty for not having given us enough time but we assure him that he was there for us with a push or a pat on the shoulder when we needed it. We love looking back on the happy family times we shared; these memories will be treasured in our hearts forever.

Being mothers ourselves, we know there is no greater love than that of a parent for his child. And this love gives us a sense of peace which comes from deep inside because we know he is at rest. We thank the Lord for blessing us with him as a father and we're sure that, even now he is at rest, he's always there for us, watching over us and the grandchildren he loved dearly. He will always be alive in our hearts.

Happy birthday, papa. We love you.