Ivan Grixti writes:
As I read the e-mail announcement sent through the University of Malta’s intranet I have to say I was saddened by the passing away of Joseph Kenely.
The news of his passing away at the age of 69 came suddenly to all those who, like me, knew him very well. I have had the privilege of being tutored by him in management accounting during my undergraduate accountancy course between 1986 and 1991. Given my bubbly character I once endeavoured into imitating our lecturers to my fellow classmates while waiting for him to come and deliver one of his well-prepared lectures. I chose to imitate him. My friends were quite enthusiastic about it and their smiles fuelled me to perfect the act, only to realise that he was standing at the door enjoying the entertainment!
I was, obviously, embarrassed but, as a good practising Catholic, he remembered that we were created to enjoy ourselves, so I was overwhelmed when he spoke highly of my non-accounting skills to my fellow classmates.
Given his technical expertise on insurance, he supervised a number of valid dissertations such as that written by my wife, Carmen, apart from being instrumental in the setting up of the insurance supervisory division within the Ministry of Finance, where my wife had also spent some time gaining work experience.
Eventually, he was also my mentor as I took over from him as financial controller of the then commercial arm of the University, namely, Malta University Services Limited, the first full blown on-the-job experience as a student sponsored by the Malta Development Corporation. Through the handover process I could appreciate more how meticulous he was in his work.
My attachment with the University’s commercial arm induced me to read for an MA degree at Lancaster University, a venture he fully supported me in with his usual spirit-lifting comments. He did so because he was one of the first breed of masters graduates in accounting within the department, himself having read for an MSc at the University of Southampton.
When I decided to join the University’s academic ranks, he greeted me warmly and he did emphasise that academia has great satisfaction in terms of the student-tutor relationship building it possesses. When I eventually registered to pursue a research degree at the University of Southampton, he got somewhat nostalgic, retelling me a few stories about his stay there while reading for his MSc. Again, with a great deal of humility, he gave me a couple of tips about it, even though he himself never had the opportunity of doing it. This was in 2004/5, when he was thinking of calling it a day as a full-time member of staff.
When he gave up his chairmanship of the Archdiocese’s audit committee in 2008/9 and as John Scicluna took over as chairman, I was nominated by His Grace to fill in the vacated place on the committee. This is a position that does not entail any form of remuneration and, like Kenely, I do it for the love I have for the Catholic Church in Malta.
Kenely will not only be missed by his family for his love and affection but also by past students like me and members of the Maltese accountancy profession for his exemplary attitude of impeccable honesty and integrity, virtues which are, unfortunately, also dwindling in this ever-growing secular society of ours. To draw this appreciation to a conclusion, his passing away on March 15 is of no coincidence because this is the feast day of St Louise de Marillac, founder of the congregation of nuns better known as the Daughters of Charity. He was indeed a champion of charity, so I am more than sure that he is now receiving his well-deserved prize for being loyal to what St Paul emphasises: “we are citizens of Heaven”.
May he rest in peace.