Martin Testaferrata Moroni Viani writes:
Tony was first and foremost a Maltese. His parents were Buttigieg and de Piro and he had excellent reason to be, and was, proud of both.
He was first a commissioned bomb disposal officer, which his then newly-wed wife understandably disapproved of. He moved on joining Hilton International in Italy and Canada and, finally, becoming general manager and managing director of the entire operation in homeland Malta, where he worked until attaining retirement. He delivered so well that he remained a point of reference for many in the Maltese hospitality industry.
Cultured, read and extremely proactive he took a special interest in his maternal heritage, motivated to address some overdue issues that merited attention and made it his purpose to have rehabilitated in his name a marchional title originally granted in Spain to an ancestor of his in 1742, an exercise he successfully accomplished in 1987.
Meanwhile, he was the founding corps commander of the St John Rescue Corps, a unique paramilitary volunteer corps raised to meet the needs in Malta of a support civil defence unit consisting of adult volunteers fully trained in rescue and first aid. The corps is based at Fort Madalena, an early 19th century British fort which has been loaned to it by the government.
In recognition of his efforts and devotion, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Anthony, the Marquis Buttigieg de Piro in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
Prince Oskar of Prussia, Herrenmeister (Master of the Knights) of the Johanniterorden awarded him the Ehrenritterkreuz (The Knight’s Cross of Honour) for meritorious service to the ideals of the hospitaller tradition of the Orders of St John.
He actively promoted, under the different title of Marquis Buttigieg de Piro, the new Association of Foreign Title Holders in Malta, which he eventually chaired, with the purpose of giving rise to a greater awareness of a heritage and dignity that had been overlooked in the past. He remained confident the association’s limited success will counter-balance claims which are purely local or simply need to be re-examined.
Tony had the singular pleasure of obtaining patronage for the association of no less than three royals namely Lippe, Habsburg-Lorraine und Salm-Salm and Bagration-Mukhraneli.
In the world of orders and dynastic Houses, he was also: Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Royal Order of St Michael of the Wing of Portugal, Rector of Malta and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Knight of the Royal Order of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Vicosa of Portugal, Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Military Order of the Archangel St Michael the Miraculous in Spain.
In sports, he was life president of the Malta Polo Club, the Malta Racing Club, the Federicus Rex Falconry Society and the Malta Judo Association. He played polo for 40 years until about 10 years ago: “too young at age 70”.
Always mindful and respectful of the honesty and integrity of hard-working people, he advocated for better conditions and acknowledgement for those who lacked his unmistakable voice, presence and energy.
His personal and most important part of his life was Alice. They were a wonderful couple and will be remembered for their affability, loyalty, courtesy and tremendous fortitude. God willed they had no offspring.
Alice left us in 2009. Forty months later they are finally reunited in eternity. The marquis is survived by his younger brother Joseph.