Timmy Gambin writes:

The sad news of the passing away of Judith Vella Bonavita in Australia has been announced.

Mrs Vella Bonavita, as she was known to her former students, settled in Malta in the mid-1960s with her husband, historian Roger Vella Bonavita. Following a stint teaching history at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, she taught history and Latin at St Edward’s College where she was also librarian.

Her teaching style was such that it encouraged her students to think critically about the themes being covered.

She would also prompt us to follow up lessons with a visit to the library where she would always have some title or other ready to complement what we had covered in class.

For those of us who were boarders, she would be on hand to recommend books for us to read in those long hours spent at the college – our home away from home.

Unfortunately, her teaching career in Malta was brought to an abrupt end when her husband had to leave Malta for Perth, Australia in 1982.

On a recent visit to Western Australia, I was very proud to welcome “Mrs Vella Bonavita” at a talk I was giving to the Maltese community in Perth. Despite some initial jitters of having to deliver my lecture in front of my former history teacher, all went well.

We spent some time after the lecture discussing the college, the teaching profession and Malta in general.

Sadly, that would be the only occasion I had of meeting her since her departure from Malta.

A nationwide campaign in the UK aimed at recruiting teachers used the slogan “you never forget a good teacher”. This is certainly true and “Mrs Vella Bonavita” will always be remembered fondly.