Klaus Vella Bardon writes:
As the years roll by, more of the people who loomed large in our life pass away, driving home the reality of one’s own mortality.
The sudden and aggressive illlness that struck down Miss Jo, as we affectionately always knew her, robbed us of such a person. But Miss Jo was a lot more to us than an old friend. Having spent my childhood in St Paul’s Bay during the 1950s Miss Jo, along with her flamboyant friend, the village pharmacist Loal Catania, practically adopted me and my twin brother, taking us to the beach or the countryside.
Miss Jo remained a loyal friend to our family ever since. She never forgot a birthday or any other special occasion without a thoughtful gift or a card. More importantly, she was keenly interested in our welfare and success. Jo was an upright woman of principle who knew her mind and worked with competence and devotion.
After ending her employment with the British Services in 1979, she worked tirelessly and with great dedication for Church organisations like Dar l-Emigrant. Despite the onset of years she was always remarkably well turned out and impeccably smart, easily masking the reality of her advancing age.
Throughout her life, Jo lived with her elder brother Canon Cefai and her sister Marion. Their house was always a haven of hospitality and good cheer. She was as devoted to her nephews and nieces as she was to their children, following their progress and achievements with acute interest.
Her generosity and kindness remain unforgettable and I am greatly indebted to her for giving me her accordion, an instrument I have enjoyed playing for the past 50 years. She will be sorely missed by many but mostly by her immediate family and friends. May her relatives be consoled by the fact that Jo lived a full and fruitful life to the very end, extending her friendship to one and all.
The packed Collegiate Church of St. Paul, the many priests who officiated and the numerous members of Religious Orders at Jo’s beautifully sung funeral Mass bore witness to her highly regarded standing in the community.