Ċensu Tabone, former President and Foreign Minister, died on March 14 aged 98.

An ophthalmologist by profession, Dr Tabone first served in George Borg Olivier’s Cabinet in the 1960s as Minister for Labour, Employment and Welfare where he introduced measures to help disabled people find employment. As Foreign Minister between 1987 and 1989 he played an important part in preparing Malta to join the EU and in anchoring Malta firmly within the Western camp after the turbulent Mintoff years. Between 1989 and 1994 he served as President and hosted a US-Soviet summit in December 1989 that declared an end to the Cold War. Dr Tabone was general secretary of the Nationalist Party from 1962 to 1972 and deputy leader from 1972 to 1977.

Fr Peter Serracino Inglott, philosopher and former University Rector, died on March 16 aged 75.

Often referred to as a ‘walking encyclopaedia’, this absent-minded professor was Rector of the University of Malta between 1987-1988 and 1991-1996 where he presided over a massive growth in the student population. He was Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami’s close adviser and speech writer and had a huge influence on the Nationalist Party’s social policy. Fr Peter was head of the University’s Philosophy Department between 1971 and 1996 and was one of the Maltese representatives at the Convention on the Future of Europe (2002-2003).

John Micallef (Roamer), columnist for The Sunday Times, died on January 30 aged 76.

John Micallef wrote Roamer’s Column for The Sunday Times for close to 40 years. The perfect gentleman and a staunch Catholic, Mr Micallef cherished his principles and values which he refused to compromise for the sake of being popular. His column had a strong following especially among the more traditional elements of Maltese society. Mr Micallef served in the Royal Malta Artillery where he rose to the rank of major before resigning his commission in 1970 to take up writing.

Dom Mintoff, former Prime Minister, died on August 20 aged 96.

The firebrand Socialist was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1958 and from 1971 to 1984 and leader of the Malta Labour Party from 1949 to 1984. Mr Mintoff clashed with the Catholic Church, turned Malta into a Republic, increased welfare benefits, expanded the role of the state in the economy, established close ties to Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya and Communist China, had a love hate relationship with Britain and presided over a period of political violence and an erosion of civil liberties and the rule of law. In December 1986 he convinced his Labour Party to agree to a constitutional amendment on majority rule which paved the way for the Nationalist Party to win the May 1987 election. In 1998 he voted against his own party in Parliament which led to the collapse of Alfred Sant’s Labour government.

Charles Grech-Orr, former editor of The Times, died on January 28 aged 84.

Charles Grech Orr was editor of The Times from 1965 to 1990 and had the misfortune of heading the newspaper when it was ransacked and burnt by a Socialist mob on October 15, 1979, known as Black Monday. “His finest hour was when he edited the newspaper on the night the newspaper was razed to the ground. As the flames were ravaging the press at St Paul Street in Valletta, we raced against time to tell the story as best we could,” Victor Aquilina, his successor at The Times, had said.

Simon Tortell, a leading financial services lawyer and former Sliema Wanderers player, died on June 15 aged 52.

Simon Tortell first played for Sliema Wanderers in the 1975-76 season where he won the championship. He also won the FA Trophy in 1978-79 scoring both goals in the match when Sliema beat Floriana 2-1. He played 63 league matches for Sliema, scoring 18 goals in the process, and five times for Malta. Dr Tortell gave up his sports career in 1984 to pursue a legal profession. In 2009 he set up his own firm, Simon Tortell & Associates, which specialises in financial services and corporate law.

Fr Renè Cilia, vice parish priest of Zejtun, died in a traffic accident on November 4 aged 27.

The tragic death of this young popular priest as he was on his way to say early morning Mass at his Żejtun parish church shocked the nation. Fr Cilia, from Qormi, died when the car he was driving collided with two vehicles on the Tal-Barrani Road, Żejtun. The priest worked very closely with young people and was described as a person who was always willing to help and who constantly smiled.

Lino Cassar, a left-wing journalist and film critic, died on November 8 aged 78.

Mr Cassar was editor of the Labour Party newspaper Iż-Żmien from 1967 to 1971 and the founder and editor of the satirical left-wing newspapers Ix-Xewka I and Ix-Xewka II from 1965 to 1978. Until recently he wrote a film column in The Sunday Times. Mr Cassar served as chairman of the Board of Film and Stage Censors from 1972 to 1987. A staunch Socialist, he won the Gold Award from the Institute of Journalism in 2007.

Luke Gauci, proprietor of Wembley Ice Cream Factory Ltd., ex-president of the Federation of Industry, died on December 10 aged 98.

Chairman and managing director of Wembley Ice Cream Factory Ltd. He introduced pasteurised and pre-packed ice-cream in Malta under the Wembley brand in 1937. In 1971, he co-founded the Federation of Industry of which he was president until 1976. In 1998 he was awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika.

Martin Bonello-Cole, managing partner of Grant Thornton in Malta, died on October 30 aged 59.

Mr Bonello-Cole worked with clients in the utilities, construction, hospitality, manufacturing, retail and insurance sectors. He was also involved business planning and strategy, corporate recovery and restructuring, corporate finance as well as mergers and acquisitions. He had served as executive chairman of Enemalta and non-executive chairman of Union Press Limited and Union Print Limited.

Joseph John Camilleri, novelist, died on July 6 aged 84.

Commonly known as JJ Camilleri, he is mainly remembered for his literary work, including Il-Għar Tax-Xitan, Luteru Żmien Li Tibni, Żmien Li Tħott and Kwartett – a collection of poems. He was also an exponent of the Moviment Qawmien Letterarju and a member of the Akkademja tal-Malti.

Fr George Aquilina OFM, Franciscan historian, died on September 29 aged 73.

Considered the historian of the Maltese Franciscan Province he lectured Church history to Franciscan students and became the Provincial Librarian and Archivist. He was also Provincial Secretary and Provincial Vicar. Fr Aquilina authored books on the history of the Order of the Knights of St John and the history of the Franciscan Order in Malta and Sicily.