Ray Bugeja, writes:

To describe Joe Mercieca, or Josmer, as he was known among his former colleagues at The Times, as a fine journalist and a perfect gentleman is such an understatement. Joe was more but a lot more than that. I personally owe him a lot as do many - most would perhaps be a more appropriate term - of those who had the privilege to either work with him in his long career as a journalist and later as a coordinator of journalism studies at the Centre for Communication Technology of the University of Malta.

I first came across Joe soon after I had joined the Church newspaper Il-Hajja some 35 years ago. I could immediately tell he knew his business well but he was always unassuming and ready to give a helping hand, especially to a cub reporter like myself who, more often than not, lost my way around. He never tired going out of his way to help: to teach would be a better word but Joe would never even dare give the impression he was your senior.

At the time Joe used to write a weekly aviation page and, myself being an aviation enthusiast, I could not resist bombarding him with questions about this, that and the other. And Joe, no matter how busy he would be, would just sit down and explain.

Together with Victor Aquilina, he encouraged me to apply when there was a vacancy at the newsroom of The Times. I was terrified of the challenge but Joe promised his help - and kept his word throughout even when, many years later, I became editor and occasionally needed advice on tricky situations.

I can still vividly picture Joe sitting on his grey metal desk in a huge room that served as a newsroom after The Times building was razed to the ground and thinking what he should write about as we prepared to clock out. Joe was a journalist 24 hours a day; I would say he was a journalist his whole life through, whatever role he was fulfilling.

When he decided it was time to move on and join the US Embassy as information officer he passed his aviation page to me. We kept in touch and his advice never ceased. Then, one day, he called to inform me that he was joining PBS as head of news. I could not help asking him whether he was sure he wanted to make the move. Well, he did. I do not think that was the best time of his life!

Once, when he was still at The Times and I worked for Il-Ħajja we were invited by British Airways to travel to London. I had never been there and confided in him that although I would have liked to extend my stay I had decided against as I was not sure I could cope on my own. The next day he called and said he would be extending his stay in London too and so he could make the arrangements for both of us if I so wished. He was a frequent flyer and I am sure that decision was only motivated by his desire not to let a young budding journalist lose a chance of a lifetime visiting London.

One morning while in London he approached me with tears in his eyes telling me he had just been informed that a colleague at The Times, Fred Barry, had just passed away. It was the same experience I had last Wednesday when my elder son SMSed me in St Petersburg who ironically was informed by Fred Barry's son, Duncan to tell me that Joe had died.

I can only hope that his spirit will live on in all of us journalists. That will certainly ensure that the revival our profession is in dire need of will occur sooner rather than later.

To his wife Therese and his children Katia and Karl, my deepest condolences.