To former colleagues, press photographer Lino Arrigo Azzopardi will long be remembered as a man of uncommon humour, joyfulness and professionalism.

Mr Arrigo Azzopardi was well-known during a long career with the Department of Information as the photographer of presidents and prime ministers, capturing most of the major events of our times, from Malta’s Independence in 1964 to EU accession in 2004.

President Guido de Marco receives the Knight Grand Cross of the most distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) from Queen Elizabeth II in October 2000.

He died last Tuesday aged 77, after months battling terminal illness. “He was one of a kind, a chap I learnt so much from, particularly in my early days as an upcoming wire photographer,” said Reuters stringer Darrin Zammit Lupi.

“Though we worked for competing agencies, that never got in the way of helping each other out – sometimes it might have been helping with equipment technical issues, or passing on a few image negatives when one of us missed an event, or tip-offs.”

Times of Malta journalist Ivan Camilleri, who travelled extensively as part of a press pool with Mr Arrigo Azzopardi in the years leading up to EU accession, described him as fun and dedicated, not shy to push around a bit if it meant getting the right shot.

He recalled a serious car accident in Bulgaria in 2001 during a visit by then President Guido de Marco which left Mr Arrigo Azzopardi close to death and facing months of recovery.

“I told Lino to get into another car in the official entourage, as I had a pressing deadline and didn’t want his usual funny distractions,” Mr Camilleri said. “I felt so bad when in the same trip a lorry coming from the opposite direction crashed into the President’s motorcade and the one I had told Lino to go in.

“He almost lost his life there, but even with blood coming down from his head he asked me whether he was already dead.”

President Guido de Marco meets Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Sirte during a state visit in February 2004.

The same personality was on display when Mr Camilleri visited the veteran photographer in hospital just last week, a few days before his death.

“He knew he was going to die, as he told me that those were his final hours. ‘Waslitli, Vann’ [‘My time has come, Vann’] he told me as soon as he saw me.

“Still, Lino was not sad or grumpy. He still had his usual look as if he was thinking of our next trip. This time it was a long one, but Lino as always was prepared for whatever the occasion.”