John Portelli writes...

Joseph Dominic Fenech, who passed away on Tuesday after a short illness, formed part of that diminishing group of teachers who graduated from St Michael’s Teachers’ Training College in the 1960s.

For JD, as he was affectionately known by his colleagues, teaching was a calling and not simply a profession. Up until his illness forced him to be hospitalised, he persisted in his teaching and correcting examination papers.

His love for teaching led to trade union activism, which started at a time of upheaval in the country’s education system. Joe believed it was his civic duty to improve teaching standards and conditions in Malta. His mantra was that education was the key to social, political and economic development.

He lamented the loss of respect and authority his colleagues experienced daily in the classroom. But he did not give up. He remained an active council member of the Malta Union of Teachers. During our last conversation, he reminisced about his colleagues, their time at the training college and their efforts to improve the standard of education in Malta.

Joe led an active life even beyond the classroom, in part, because he knew that he could always rely on the unwavering support of his wife, Mary, to whom he was a devoted husband. He was a proud father of his three children: Alexander, Elaine and Marie Louise.

In their inimitable ways, the siblings inherited their father’s traits: Marie Louise, Joe’s calling for human resources development; Elaine, his love for art and culture; and Alexander, Joe’s civic duty and, above all, passion, which he imbued in all his achievements.

It was the type of passion that only poets can muster and Joe was a poet. He used to proudly retell his encounters with Dun Karm Psaila. Fittingly, we should commemorate Joe’s passing with Dun Karm’s soothing words: “Il-poeta jintemm u l-għanja tibqa’” (the poet goes and the song remains).