Joseph F. X. Zahra writes...

The news of the death of family members, friends and acquaintances saddens our heart. The news of the loss of Joe Agius last Saturday (Aug. 6) saddened me in a special way.

He was for me more than a friend and a former colleague. He had a special influence on me and my work. Joe Agius was the classic gentleman. A civil servant of the old professional school, a loyal and diligent public officer seasoned with long years of experience including a sojourn in King Idris’s Libya in the 1960s. On his return to Malta he made his way up to senior appointments including head of bulk buying during the Mintoff administration. He left public office to join the Federation of Industries in the early 1980s.

Very few people know that Joe was one of the founders of Misco, the independent Malta-based consultancy, and a leading inspiration to me during its early years. Joe’s deep intellect, swiftness to careful analysis, sense of impartiality and calculation strengthened the foundation of this enterprise.

He was a careful and attentive reader with a strong sense of interpretation and opinion. His was a brilliant mind and he was endowed with the skill of fine writing and crystal clear articulation.

Joe was a generous and kind-hearted person who encouraged me to venture into the area of business support in market research and advice. The name of the company was his doing. Misco stands for Marketing Intelligence Services Co. Ltd.

George Vassiliou, founder of the then Middle East Market Research Bureau, who was also a shareholder and director in the market research arm of Misco before being elected president of the Republic of Cyprus, once asked me jokingly how much he can pay to buy the name. The mnemonic for his company, MEMRB, could never match the impact of the Misco brand.

My condolences to Frances, his wife, and his daughters.

Joe, may you rest in eternal peace.