A master saxophonist, an EU judge, an inspirational teenage athlete and a former mayor - here are some of the well-known faces no longer with us.

Antonio Micallef Trigona, magistrate, died on January 15, aged 71.

Antonio Micallef Trigona served as a magistrate for several years and presided over the compilation of evidence against Chief Justice Noel Arrigo and Judge Patrick Vella who were charged, and subsequently convicted, of bribery. Micallef Trigona was also assigned a libel case filed by then magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, against journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia. 

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Sammy Murgo, musician, died on February 7, aged 87.

A master saxophonist, Sammy Murgo was one of the country's most eminent champions of jazz. A prominent presence on the local music scene, Murgo performed with at least three generations of artists. His long career saw him collaborate with local and foreign musicians, including the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet band, dominating the entertainment scene in hotels and nightclubs. He remained an active part of Malta’s jazz scene and frequently performed live.

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Joe Cutajar, singer, died on March 7, aged 83.

Valletta born and bred, Joe Cutajar's singing career spanned decades and saw him singing in various countries, including the UK, where he spent two years working as a cabaret artist in London’s West End in the 1960s. He was also among the soloists in the rock opera Ġensna. He will be best remembered for his participation in the Eurovision Song Contest with Helen Micallef in 1972 when they sang L-Imħabba. Cutajar continued singing until a few weeks before his death.

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Monica Attard, actress, died on May 5, aged 74.

Monica Attard, a TV and radio presenter and actor, thrilled theatre crowds for decades. Her stage career began at Sliema’s De Porres Theatre, where she and a small group of friends started putting on plays. Attard would go on to work on dozens of theatre productions, playing several lead roles, including plays like Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra to Oliver Friggieri’s Rewwixta and Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass. She also worked on several audio dramas transmitted on Rediffusion and was a radio announcer for several years with Radju Malta before moving on to Radio 101 and TV station NET.

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Ena Cremona, Malta’s first female litigation lawyer and former EU judge, died on May 24, aged 88.

Ina Cremona was Malta’s first female litigation lawyer and the second woman to graduate as a lawyer from the University of Malta. As a lawyer, she was known for her daunting fighting spirit and her ethical behaviour. She was appointed a judge on the General Court of the European Union when Malta joined the EU and reappointed to serve for another six-year term in 2007; yet, in 2011, she handed in her resignation. She was legal advisor to the National Council of Women from 1964 to 1979 as well as a member of the Public Service Commission from 1987 to 1989. She also served as a member of the Electoral Commission.

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Vinny Vella, musician, died on June 26, aged 96.

Maestro Vinny Vella played the clarinet and saxophone, with a career spanning from the 1940s to the 1990s. His name was synonymous with venues such as the Premier, Phoenicia, Strait Street and Chalet. He was the leading musician and director of the band Vinny’s Blue Jackets and performed alongside several local and foreign performers including Albano Carrisi, Bobby Solo and Wilma De Angelis.

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Mark Mallia, artist, died on July 23, aged 59.

Mark Mallia’s idiosyncratic abstract works were a staple of the country’s art scene for decades, often dealing with complex themes, including religion, gender, non-conformism, and the psyche. He was the youngest-ever painter to do a solo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta at the age of 28. He studied in Florence, spent time in France and the US, and painted and exhibited in Miami and Toronto. However, it was after his release from prison in 2012 for non-filing of VAT returns that Mallia really found his voice as an artist, saying that he taught inmates how to paint and they taught him the truth about art. Mallia was also known for his extensive charity work, including working with Dar Bjorn and providing shelter for homeless people.

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Joe Brincat, former Labour minister, died on August 2, aged 80.

A lawyer by profession, Brincat was a Labour activist since his youth and twice served as the Labour Party’s deputy leader for party affairs. He enjoyed a long career as an MP and briefly served as justice minister. Considered a moderate, Brincat first contested for a parliamentary seat in 1971, later winning in a casual election before being appointed PL deputy leader, first in 1976 and then in 1995. In 1992, Brincat made a bid for the party leadership but was unsuccessful in the race that was ultimately won by Alfred Sant.

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Nicky Sansone, inspirational cancer sufferer, died on August 8, aged 55.

Nicky Sansone died two weeks after throwing a party to celebrate her life after she was told she had just weeks to live because of her terminal cancer. She recorded her life with cancer on TikTok and uploaded her last video a day before she died, urging her followers to “enjoy life, live, love, and smile”. Sansone was diagnosed with cancer in November 2023 and immediately resorted to TikTok to record her battle and her views of life, urging people to check out any symptoms immediately. “For many people, it’s life-work-life-work. They forget to live. People worry about such stupid things. I did too,” she had said. 

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Lorenzo Vella, head of EC Representation in Malta, died on August 18, aged 43.

Lorenzo Vella was a diplomat and foreign policy expert respected across the political divide. He served as Malta’s deputy permanent representative to the EU, permanent representative to the Council of Europe and the head of the European Commission representation in Malta. He was a prominent advocate of Council of Europe initiatives to support Ukraine’s right to self-determination and Kosovo’s application for membership to the Council of Europe. He was also a Labour Party activist from a young age and was involved in the party’s youth wing. In December 2024, he was posthumously awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika.

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Richard Lapira, diplomat, died on August 29, aged 91.

Ambassador Richard Lapira had a long and distinguished career in the diplomatic service in Malta and abroad. His first posting was as a consular officer in London in 1977, and in 1987, he was appointed ambassador to China. In 1991, he became Malta’s ambassador to Germany, after which he co-founded the Maltese-German Association. He served as president of the association until 2009 and was instrumental in strengthening relations between Germany and Malta.

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Hugh Caruana, footballer, broadcaster, died on August 23, aged, 78.

Hugh Caruana was best known for playing for Ġżira and Floriana during the 1960s and 1970s, later transitioning to coaching and presenting sports television programmes. The renowned former footballer went on to become a veteran broadcaster and local councillor. Last June, Caruana was once again elected to the Ġżira local council on the PN’s ticket.

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Jake Vella, inspirational teenage athlete, died on August 30, aged 15.

For most of his life, Jake Vella had been fighting an extremely rare condition that caused him to gain weight rapidly. He became a beloved, renowned face when he went public with his condition and began documenting his constant fight with the disease while remaining positive and full of energy and determination. Vella not only soldiered on but also turned into a philanthropist, organising swimming challenges and sports events with other athletes to raise funds and awareness for abandoned animals and other causes. In May 2024, he broke the national record for youngest person to swim 100 kilometres in a pool. In December 2024, he was posthumously awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika.

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Dun Anġ Seychell, founder of Fondazzjoni Nazareth, died on August 31, aged 91.

Dun Anġ Seychell founded Fondazzjoni Nazareth, which provides an alternative family and residence to persons with physical or mental disabilities who have no family or cannot live with their natural family. He strongly practised the Church’s social doctrine that calls for vulnerable people to be supported and cared for, and opened a first residence in Żejtun in 1995, and a second home, named after Fr Lawrence Degabriele, in 2002; a third, the Jean Vanier home, was opened in 2009. A fourth home, Dar San Franġisk, was opened in partnership with the government in July 2024. Dun Anġ also served as deputy editor of Il-Ħaddiem and Il-Leħen. He had co-founded Caritas and was instrumental in establishing the house for retired clergy in Birkirkara.

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Pierre Attard, school founder and prominent notary, died on September 3, aged 64.

Pierre Attard was one of the founders of San Anton School and served as the first chair of the school board from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1997 to 2000. His leadership and vision are considered to have been instrumental in shaping the institution into one of the leading educational establishments in Malta. A well-respected notary who was held in high regard by the Notarial Council, he was regarded as one of Malta’s most reputable notaries. Attard also served as president of the Christian Life Community from 1993 to 1996 and was instrumental in drawing up its first statute.

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Karl Gouder, former PN MP and mayor, died on September 10, aged 45.

Karl Gouder served as St Julian’s mayor between 2015 and 2016 and a PN MP for various years between 2010 and 2022. Well-respected by the entire political spectrum, Gouder was known for his bridge-building abilities and consensus-style politics as well as his willingness to encourage dialogue. His calm and gentle demeanour stood out and was appreciated by many amid an increasingly partisan political atmosphere. He held various positions within the Nationalist Party, including the head of NET TV. In December 2024, he was posthumously awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika.

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Charles Briffa, academic and Maltese literary critic, died on September 20, aged 73.

Charles Briffa, a professor at the University of Malta, was widely respected for his contributions to the Maltese language and national literature. His publications touched on a range of topics, from dictionaries to studies on cultural linguistics. He was a member of the Akkademja tal-Malti and served on its editorial board. In 2000, he was appointed the academy’s president, a role he occupied for four years. Briffa lectured at the university at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, and contributed to the university’s radio station, co-hosting several shows focused on the Maltese language and its history. He was a Member of the National Order of Merit, having been bestowed that honour in 2020.   

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Polly March, actress, director, died October 7, aged 77.

Celebrated actress and acclaimed theatre director Polly March was known for her outstanding contributions to the stage in the UK and Malta. She trained at Guildhall in the UK, playing several major roles, from Hermia to Queen Victoria. She worked extensively on radio in the UK, and recorded all of the Narnia series for the BBC, with Paul Schofield and David Suchet. In Malta, she performed in plays like Habeas Corpus, Talking Heads, Allo Allo, Calendar Girls and Star of Strait Street. She directed several memorable productions, including The Alchemist and The Taming of The Shrew and was the artistic director of Roaring Voices. She died days before the opening of the first staging in Malta of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, which she was directing.

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Terry Bencini, performer, died on October 27, aged 94.

A stalwart of Maltese theatre, the singer, comedienne and actress from Sliema performed for decades before retiring from the stage in 1993. Bencini had a remarkable career that saw her perform at the most renowned local theatres, singing alongside Hollywood star Oreste Kirkop and for the Maltese community in Australia, and entertaining the masses on Rediffusion. Among her most memorable shows were Il Manichino di Legno and Żeża tal-Flagship.

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Fr Manwel Curmi, founder of Gozo's Fondazzjoni Arka, died on October 27, aged 87.

Fr Manwel Curmi founded Fondazzjoni Arka in Gozo, which runs an Għajnsielem residence that offers respite to people with disability and their families. The home was the first of its sort in Gozo. Fondazzjoni Arka said Fr Curmi had spent his entire life working for people with disabilities and was “the brains and the machine” behind the foundation.

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Mario Meli, veteran sports journalist, died on November 18, aged 84.

Mario Meli was long considered a pioneer of sports journalism, a career spanning 53 years. He spent many years working at Public Broadcasting Services both on radio and television, but was also active in the print media, working with several publications such as Panorama Sports and Arena Sportiva. Meli was also a football referee for many years, bringing his expertise and passion to the field in a different capacity. He was also held positions with the Malta Cycling Federation and the Malta Sports Journalists Association.

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Raymond Pitrè, artist, died on November 28, aged 84.

Raymond Pitrè, one of Malta’s foremost contemporary artists, was well-known for his abstract art. His works included paintings of all of Malta’s presidents and prime ministers, ceiling paintings at St Joseph parish church in Msida and Stella Maris in Sliema, and five sets of Malta stamps. Pitrè’s work was exhibited in London, Berlin, Florence, Copenhagen, Brussels, Palermo, Algiers, New York, and Kyoto. He represented Malta at the Venice Biennale in 1999 and he was made a Member of the National Order of Merit in 2000 for his services to art. 

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George Busuttil, ex-high commissioner, died on November 28, aged 85.

George Busuttil was Malta’s high commissioner to Australia and non-resident high commissioner to New Zealand for seven years from 1992. In 1995, he was appointed non-resident ambassador to the Philippines. During his stay in Australia, he encouraged the teaching of Maltese and introduced short-term scholarships in Malta for second- and third-generation Maltese-Australians. He returned to the foreign ministry in 1999 and was chair of the Organising Committee of the Migrants Convention held in Malta in 2000.

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Singer Joe Grech died on December 30, aged 90.

Joe Grech, singer, died on December 30 aged 90

Joe Grech was Malta's first representative at the Eurovision Song Contest, participating with Marija l-Maltija in 1971. The song has withstood the test of time and remains popular.

Grech started singing in the early 1960s and also entertained Maltese migrants in Australia, Canada, the US and other countries.