George Bonello Dupuis was the best thing that ever happened to the Maltese community in the UK which, unlike those in Australia and Canada, never had much going for it. It was scattered and unorganised, and most attempts made to organise social activities for the community failed.

In 1999, when the Maltese Culture Movement was barely a year old, George Bonello Dupuis was appointed High Commissioner. We were organising our first carnival dance so we invited him as guest of honour. He came together with Mrs Bonello Dupuis. It was his very first function in the UK, before he even met with the Queen to present his credentials. What an honour it was for us as a newly-formed Maltese association and what strength it gave us to continue organising with conviction!

After that Dr Bonello Dupuis' attended every one of our functions until the day his term ended. Once he was very worried and said to me: "Bernard, I don't know what to do but the President is coming on the same day that you will be celebrating Imnarja so I may not be able to attend the Mass or even attend at all". So I said candidly, High Commissioner, that's not a problem, that's an opportunity. Why not meet the President and see if he can meet us on such an occasion. And to our amazement, the next thing we knew, Guido de Marco was on his way to meet the Maltese community.

In 2000, under the High Commissioner's umbrella, the Maltese associations in the UK came together and formulated the Malta Day-UK Celebrations.

On September 8, 2001 the Maltese community in the UK was for the very first time proudly and publicly celebrating Malta Day - the Feast of Our Lady of Victories - with a procession in the streets of Westminster, Solemn Mass at Westminster Cathedral, a Maltese fair and brass band playing in the streets.

Dr Bonello Dupuis was also the prime mover for the George Cross Island Association (GCIA) initiative to erect a monument near All Hallows Church in Tower Place close to the Tower of London commemorating Operation Pedestal.

President Eddie Fenech Adami inaugurated it on August 15 and Dr Dupuis was there, although not in his capacity as High Commissioner as his term had ended earlier that year.

But thanks to his efforts the GCIA and the community are now proud to celebrate annually a part of Malta's history.

After so many years, through Dr Bonello Dupuis, the Maltese in the UK had found someone to relish their cause. And that did not surprise me as I went on to learn more about this extraordinary man.

Everything he did, he did whole-heartedly, with pride and humility and compassion. For the small man he was physically, as he often joked, Dr Bonello Dupuis changed the perception among Maltese people in the community who might have regarded the position of High Commissioner as totally distant from them. He often opened Malta House and invited the Maltese to come and commemorate their national days with a bibita. In the few short years of running Malta House in London, he brought together many of the scattered Maltese in Great Britain and unified the people in a patriotic manner that regenerated a sense of belonging to their motherland and became an inspiration to all those who encountered him.

The heartbreaking news of his passing has been received with great sorrow.

We are left with the memory of a person who contributed to progress and economic stability in the Maltese islands while serving in government and who was seriously committed to the welfare of the people while heading the Maltese diplomatic mission in London. It has indeed been a great honour to have known Dr Bonello Dupuis and worked with him and under his auspices in a way that created a legacy which continues to exist among the people of our community in this country.

May God welcome you George with open arms as you always welcomed us!

I convey our condolences to Mrs Bonello Dupuis and the rest of the Bonello Dupuis family on behalf of the Maltese community in the UK.