Antoine Cachia Caruana, who has just died aged 87, was one of the most remarkable and justifiably one of the most successful headmasters of St Edward’s College, who saw the school grow dramatically under his leadership during some of the most turbulent years in the college’s history.

He had the unique record of being intimately connected with St Edward’s for 46 years, first as a student, from 1939 to 1945, and then for 40 years, after 1949, on the teaching staff as sports and mathematics master and also as master of discipline. This culminated with his appointment, for 14 years, as headmaster, the first Maltese national to be appointed head of this distinguished school.

Cachia Caruana had the ethos of the school in his bones and he worked for the college night and day, striving to preserve it during a period in this country’s history - in the political uncertainty of the 1970s and 1980s engendered by the problems between the Church and the State at the time - when all private schools were under massive political pressure from the government of the day.

Ideological disapproval of the school was heavy.

He was a man of great personality and energy who stamped his mark on generations of Edwardians

The autonomy of St Edward’s College was put under severe threat. Private school tuition fees were frozen, the long-standing practice of allowing British expatriate teachers on the staff of the school was unilaterally ended by the government and access to its playing fields at St Clement’s Bastion was stopped.

In the face of these pressures, Cachia Caruana prevailed. He cut a formidable figure of strength and determination in steering the school round the obstacles placed in its way.

As headmaster, he was held in awe and respect by students, teachers and parents alike.

He gave his students pride in themselves and imbued them with a sense of what was required of them to become responsible members of society with a well-honed sense of civic responsibility and devotion to duty.

A great defender of strict discipline, he believed in the currently unfashionable notion that it was necessary to resist the natural tendency of children to probe for the weak spots in authority.

He was a convinced advocate of the moral and educative function of sport in character building and leadership. He did much to maintain the school’s high reputation in this field. He was also a great believer that, no matter how indifferent the material, for example when he was teaching maths, there was always talent to be elicited and encouraged. During his time as head he ensured that St Edward’s was the first school to have proper science and computer laboratories.

For his life’s work in education, he was honoured by Malta with Membership of the National Order of Merit in 2000.

He was a man of great personality and energy who stamped his mark on generations of Edwardians. His former students can be seen all around us – in business, the armed forces, diplomacy, the legal, medical and accountancy professions – and in most other sectors of life.

His interest in St Edward’s College never waned and he continued to attend class reunions as well as both happy and sad events that concerned the college and its past and present students. Right to the end he could remember all the students that passed through his hands at St Edward’s, whether they were brilliant or average, particularly successful in life or not.

And they remembered both him and his influence on their lives, whatever heights they might have reached in their careers – including Malta’s present Archbishop and the recently-retired Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.

The only thing that held him back was his physical mobility, which became more restricted as he got older, the result of a serious car accident in 1983.

This is the legacy of which Jo – his loving and loyal wife who was so closely involved alongside him in the school which he held so dear and to which he dedicated his life and energy – his four children – Edward, Richard, Francis and Louise – and their families, including eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter, can all be well and truly proud.

Together with Edwardians, past and present, we extend our deepest sympathy to them all.

May he rest in peace.

Martin Scicluna was chairman of St Edward’s College’s board of governors between 2000 and 2004.