Kenneth De Martino, Chief Scout, writes:
It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of John A. Mizzi and our sympathy goes to his family and all those who knew him.
John was a very dear friend and my mentor for many years. He was a great leader and dedicated his life to so many young people who embraced the Scout movement.
Youngsters (and the not-so-young) from all walks of life knew him as ‘Cubbie’ and appreciated his dedication to the growth and developments of the young people of Malta. He was instrumental in making sure that any new opportunities were not missed and did whatever he could so that such opportunities were available to as many young people as possible. He was keen to see our youngsters participate in international gatherings to give them the chance of broadening their horizons.
In addition to supporting the youth of Malta, he supported underprivileged young people from all parts of the world who, without his efforts, would never have had the opportunity to grow and develop themselves within their own community.
‘Cubbie’ was group scout leader of St Aloysius Scout Group for many years but he was willing and able to share his knowledge and offer support to other scout groups on the island, many of which benefited from his wisdom and guidance. The Sliema Group, in particular, enjoyed many joint activities over the years, not least the international scout jamborees that John was very keen for Malta to participate in.
In order to survive, organisation need strong administrative support and John did much in this area also. Through his journalistic talents he made sure that the Scout Association got a fair share of coverage both locally and internationally.
As a leader, the words ‘not possible’ were not in his vocabulary and, through his own stamina and determination, he encouraged individuals to press on and succeed in life, truly the mark of a good leader.
We are all saddened by his loss but he will be remembered for many years to come by those who were influenced by and benefited from his hard work and dedication.
We have lost a great person but those of us still travelling through life’s journey will treasure his memory and offer their prayers to accompany him on his final journey home.