Joe Ganado worked in the legal profession in Malta for half a century. Graduating at 21, in 1946, and proceeding to London, he spent two years as assistant professor at University College and was awarded a Ph.D in 1950.
On his return to Malta, he was appointed lecturer in Roman law and professor of civil law in 1961. He was dean of the faculty until his retirement.
He was known to generations of students as il-Profs. He built up a large practice and opened a large office in Old Bakery Street, Valletta, which gave hospitality to a large number of young lawyers.
Joe was the son of Judge Edgar Ganado and the grandson of Judge Luigi Ganado. On his mother’s side he was the nephew of that great legal luminary Maximillian (Massi) Debono, who owned that gracious mansion Villa Debono in Lija, where Joe lived and died.
I knew Joe in Lija during the war and we were soon friends. We helped Dun Alfred Xuereb, the parish priest, set up the Lija parish hall in High Street.
Though Joe was two courses ahead - six years in those days - we kept in close touch. When it was my turn to go to London for post-graduate studies, he kept encouraging me to join the university teaching staff, which I duly did.
Joe was the lawyer of my practice on legal matters such as litigation while I was “the perit” of his practice on technical matters. It worked out very well.
I was to find out later that there were older links between our two families. When my uncle Lewis Camilleri (later Sir Luigi) graduated in laws in 1913, his mother, Matilde Bonello Peralta, arranged with Massi Debono, a distant relative, to allow Lewis to have professional practice at his office. At the last minute,
Massi phoned her to cancel the arrangement as his daughter, Tessie, was going steady with another young lawyer, Edgar Ganado.
My periti ancestors, Giuseppe and Francesco Zammit, had prepared many court reports at the request of Maximillian Debono. Life goes round in circles.
My sincerest condolences to Angela, Max and Johanna, and grandchildren, who have something to be truly proud of.