I came to know Guido de Marco sometime in 1968. A carpenter we had engaged, on completion of the work, asked me to pay him more than we had agreed. I needed the advice of a lawyer and my then fiancée’s family – from Ħamrun – suggested I approach “Dr de Marco”. For a legal letter he addressed to the carpenter he charged me €2.30 (Lm1).
From then on, the lawyer I got to know was simply Guido, as everybody used to call him. That is how the distinguished lawyer became a man of the people and that is how he wanted people to call him.
During the turbulent years 1971-1987, Prof. de Marco was for me one of those I admired most in the Nationalist Party leadership. I used to look up to him as a source of courage and inspiration. I still remember him uttering strong words of admonition to the shameful group who blocked the Nationalist crowd proceeding to Żejtun in November 1986. And, today, every time I drive through Tal-Barrani Road, I feel I still hear the echo of his strong voice rebuking the politically endorsed illegal behaviour defying the court ruling upholding the PN’s right to hold a mass meeting in that town.
I became more acquainted with this charismatic man in the 1990s, when I started to give lectures on the Maltese language at the Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples. Prof. de Marco was a great friend – un amicone – of Malta’s long-serving honorary consul in Naples, Michele Di Gianni. And the more I visited Naples the closer the relationship between widower Dr Di Gianni (and his family), Prof. de Marco and me became.
In his bedroom, besides photos of his wife and family, Dr Di Gianni keeps silver framed photos of President Emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and of Prof. de Marco. There were occasions when Dr Di Gianni – who loves making limoncello from lemons collected from his lemon grove in Capri, and olio di finocchio (oil made from fennel seeds), which he devotedly bottles in small containers to which he attaches personalised labels – gave me samples of them to deliver to both Dr Mifsud Bonnici and Prof. de Marco. There were also occasions when, in Malta together with other honorary consuls of Malta in Italy, we used to meet at the de Marcos’ house in San Pawl tat-Tarġa.
Some years ago, Dr Di Gianni was in Malta for a holiday with his sister Flora. My wife, Irma, and I were treating them to a trip to Gozo. As we were approaching Mosta, Dr Di Gianni suddenly told my wife: “Irma, tomorrow prepare for us the famous Maltese traditional rabbit stew.” It was to no avail that we said we had neither live nor frozen rabbit at home and that it was difficult to find rabbits when we return home late that Saturday evening. Dr Di Gianni would not take no for an answer. He immediately phoned his friend Prof. de Marco who “would definitely know how we could get rabbits”.
After learning about the “problem”, Prof. de Marco passed his mobile phone to his charming wife Violet. They were very understanding and assured me they knew perfectly well that this was characteristic of Dr Di Gianni. The rabbits my wife got for the fenkata were eventually cooked during the night and Dr Di Gianni and his sister, to date, still talk about the exquisite taste of the stew. But that is another story.
Those close to him knew that Prof. de Marco was far from proud or unapproachable person as his dignified bearing may have indicated.
Whether meeting VIPs or ordinary people he was always at ease; it was his nature.
Prof. de Marco had a truly formidable character. He was a convinced Catholic, a sincere family man and an all round true friend. He was a loyal, courageous lawyer and an inspiring politician … always with a smile on his face. In these last few days, after he passed away so peacefully, law students who appreciated his lectures, politicians of all stripes, local and international personalities who worked with him all showered him with superlatives of the kind which few of those who passed away have ever received. They spoke highly of his talents, his political vision, his politics of persuasion, his enlightened discourse, his gentle character… which make him a historical figure of both Malta and the international community. This outstanding man really merits the noble prize of Eternal Life the Almighty may give him.