Vincent Peregin writes:

The first time I met Richard was in 1950, when I joined the Legion of Mary. The praesidium was named Mater Castissima, at Stella Maris parish church. We were already 14 members but, through his contacts with friends, the number was increased by about eight members more during those days.

According to the rules of the Legion of Mary, the weekly meeting must not exceed one-and-a-half hours. Thus, the praesidium was split into another praesidium made up of about 14 members.

The new name was Mater Inviolata and is still held every Tuesday of the week.

Richard was the new vice-president of the new praesidium. It now belongs to the parish priest of St Gregory’s parish in Sliema.

Besides the weekly meeting, we used to go the Sliema tower in Tower Road during most of the hot summer days for what we called a ‘Pepsi Cola meeting’.

While carrying out his studies for the blind together with the late Joseph Conti, they went to England to specialise in the work of this new association for the blind where he continued until his retirement.

Many students of his class found good jobs, among them a young girl who ended up working at the Prime Minis-ter’s office.

Richard’s work unfortunately stopped in the last eight or 10 years but he is now rewarded for all his work in the Kingdom of Heaven.

My condolences to his wife Doris, his son Joseph, and his daughter Marisa.