Former Swieqi councillor, artist and basketball coach, Paul Fenech dies aged 79
Fenech was one of Swieqi's longest-serving councillors
One of the longest serving Swieqi local councillors, an artist and a former director of an English Language School, Paul Fenech, has died at the age of 79.
Fenech’s family announced he died at Mater Dei Hospital on Monday morning.
Fenech was first elected as a councillor in 1994 and remained active in the locality until the sixth legislature, where he was last elected in 2019.
In a post, the Swieqi local council thanked Fenech for his contribution towards the locality, especially in the field of arts and culture.
Apart from being a councillor, Fenech was an artist and the founder of the Swieqi Arts Group. He was behind countless exhibitions, events, and live painting activities. The group said Fenech inspired countless individuals and helped create a space where "creativity, friendship, and culture could flourish".
Fenech was also the managing director of Magister Academy, an English-language teaching school, which, in 2007, was the first to be awarded full accreditation by the FELTOM board. He also played a key role in Malta's English Language sector, and played a role in the FELTOM board.
Paying tribute, Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat described Fenech as a “colourful” individual who was always on the go.
“Fenech was my PE teacher in secondary school, then a known basketball coach; he worked abroad and provided so much to the community,” Muscat told Times of Malta.
“I used to joke with him about how I could never understand how he would manage to keep up with everything he did. The last time I saw him was when we visited him in the hospital with a copy of a recent publication he worked on, a story about the streets of Swieqi and Madiena.”
Apart from his work as a councillor, Fenech was also remembered as a basketball coach for the Lyceum Star/Wrangler basketball club. In a post, Fenech was described as an “extraordinary coach, mentor and foundational figure”.
“Paul Fenech was far more than a basketball coach; he was a formative influence on generations of young athletes. For decades, he poured his time, energy, and passion into shaping the lives of countless youngsters.”
In a post, the Nationalist Party also paid tributes to Fenech and his family.
His family said funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.