Appreciation – Dr Louis Camilleri (1923-2026)
He assisted during surgeries in St Luke’s and the Central Hospital and served Qormi residents for 55 years, besides being medical doctor for Farsons, Joinwell and Rediffusion
I have personally met three saints in my life, St George Preca, Pope Paul V and Mother Teresa. And I am honoured to have lived with another living saint, who left this world on January 27.
Louis Camilleri was one of eight children, son of Sir Luigi, former chief justice, and Erminia, daughter of Giuseppe Calì. I have only known him for the past six years, but I have learned from him about faith, about medicine, about integrity and honesty, about devotion to your duty and about commitment to whatever the Lord places in our paths.
Having lived the last few years in a retirement home where I serve as chaplain, Louis was an exemplary witness to what a reliable and committed Christian should always be.
At the age of 102, he never missed mass, helped me as a lector until a few weeks ago, attended my talks regularly and was a pleasant companion and confidante, with an incredible memory that painted an accurate picture of Malta in the 1930s and beyond.
Graduating in 1949, he assisted various professors during surgery both at St Luke’s Hospital and the Central Hospital in Floriana. Then he served the residents of Qormi for 55 years, besides being the medical doctor for Farsons for 38 years, Joinwell for 20 years and Rediffusion for 10 years.
He was always available to care for his 25 nephews and nieces whenever they needed him. And instead of paying him for his service, whenever they cry, he would give them that iconic ‘tmintax irbiegħi’ (old Maltese coins) to calm them down. No wonder they would go back to him when they got the sniffles.
Always immaculately dressed, an ever-present smile and very generous to all kinds of charitable institutions, he was the last of his family to die and as another generation is gone, I look back at the many conversations we shared, about politics of the past, his career as a dedicated family doctor, anecdotes about his grandfather, and the Gozo and Malta of his youth, much different from what they both are today.
May he rest in peace.