Appreciation - Eric Gerada-Azzopardi

Martin Scicluna writes:

Eric Gerada-Azzopardi, who died in London on October 4, aged 69, successfully undertook a number of different and distinguished public service appointments in the service of Malta over a career spanning more than 40 years.

After a short spell in the 1960s in the then Royal Malta Artillery, Eric joined Malta's newly-formed diplomatic service. Then, in the early 1970s, he joined the newly-created Air Malta and for the next 25 years carved out a highly-successful career in aviation and tourism. In the last few years before his retirement, he was recalled to the diplomatic service as Malta's Ambassador to Sweden. He was latterly Malta's non-resident Ambassador to Iceland. Throughout his working life, he was not only a soldier, diplomat and business executive but also an outstanding artist.

Eric was always looking for new creative challenges. He had come into the army after four years at the University as a (very young) medical student. But just a few years later - in the mid-1960s - he changed course, left the army and joined Malta's fledgling diplomatic service. Here, he served in The Hague, Rome and London. As part of his London posting, he headed the Malta Tourist Office at a time when Malta - struggling for economic survival - was just building up its tourism industry, with the vital British sector at its core.

As a result, in the early 1970s he joined the newly-formed national airline, Air Malta, and for the next 25 years made a highly-successful career in aviation and tourism. During this time he successfully ran Holiday Malta, the airline's tour operations company in London - the most important tourism market for Malta - which later, as managing director, he turned for the first time into a profitable enterprise. He then successfully ran both Holiday Malta and Air Malta's operations for the United Kingdom, Ireland and Scandinavia - undoubtedly the largest and most important segment of our airline's business.

During this period he also wrote two books about Malta. Malta: An Island Republic, a historical travelogue of Malta, was the first of a generation of coffee-table books about Malta and shows Eric's artistic flair and striving for perfection, with some outstanding photographs and his own illustrations and pen-sketches. It was a labour of love and, as he was to admit, enabled him to observe Malta more closely and to become totally absorbed by its landscape and history.

In the last few years before his retirement, Eric changed course yet again when he was recalled to the diplomatic service and appointed Malta's Ambassador to Sweden while also being accredited to Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Baltic states. After this, he was also non-resident ambassador to Argentina and Chile and, latterly, to Iceland.

He will probably be remembered above all for his artistic talent. The army gave him the opportunity to indulge what was to become his passion. This saw the flowering of his huge talent as a painter. It was only some years later - by then, happily settled and married to his beloved and devoted wife, Anna - that he arrived at the finely crafted pen and ink watercolour paintings which are now unmistakeably his preserve and much admired. The power of detail and the superb recording of Maltese architectural heritage became his hallmark - although in the last few years he was not averse either to some exciting and imaginative abstracts in oil.

The 1990s saw the start of a series of highly-successful exhibitions - virtually all completely sold out - several in aid of charity. His paintings are now much valued in private and public collections, both in Malta and abroad.

Eric was a man of great passion, conviction and commitment. He cared deeply about things, whether it was politics, international relations, books, art, music or food. His loyalty and dedication were beyond reproach. He was loyal to Malta in all the public service appointments he undertook whether as a diplomat or running an important part of the state's commercial enterprise in London. He was loyal and generous to his friends. His vitality was invigorating and his passing will leave a void. Life is going to be that bit duller now that he is no longer with us.

He was loyal, above all, to his family to whom he gave unconditional love. They were his rock - the focus of his life. To Anna and their children - Dida, Emma and Charlie - his grand-children and his brother, Joe, we offer our prayers, strength and support.

Eric asked that he should come back to Malta to be buried. He wanted to return to the island which inspired his art.

To the Malta he had captured so vividly and accurately in his paintings. May he rest in peace.