Slowly, but also inevitably, the Lord is calling back into his arms or into his lovely garden all of Malta’s post-1960s bankers, those who in fact were the serious and solid founders of all that this country can now boast of in this vital part of our nation. Joe Caruana was my last boss before we both retired in 2000 after over 40 years of loyal service to our institutions and profession.

Joe was a banker of incredible qualities. It wasn’t simply the case of “knowing” the discipline, the rules, the handbooks, the laws. With him it was much more the case of having that quality which we often discussed… what he seriously often used to describe as “fiuto”, that good banker’s innate ability of recognising both starter and non-starter ideas, reliable or non-reliable counterpart.

His working life extended through long years with Barclays, Mid-Med and HSBC banks, with also quite another interesting spell as general manager at what was then the Investment Finance Bank where, inter alia, the many difficulties of his job extended to having to balance the fine line between projects of so many kinds. Included in this list are those non-starters often being pushed by influential politicians, many borrowing requests from promoters with good ideas but poor fleshing out and developing, those where he and his politician-appointed chairperson disagreed vehemently, and also some that were born after good planning and which survive up to today.

His personality often reminded me of the medieval man of culture, and his many interests included keen admiration for Beethoven, for the English national rugby team, for Floriana FC, and also supporting the local centre of The Institute of Bankers

After long years in that real battleground where the best bankers are always formed, i.e. branch banking, when he eventually was moved to the Head Office all future employers thereafter simply could not do without his wisdom, his deep analysis, his advices. Often a latecomer in the morning, he would then work very late into the evening, and he always did the “wrong” of taking urgent files home with him for in-depth study and necessary conclusions. In retirement, he was much sought for his banking advice and help, e.g. by APS Bank, and also by important local companies e.g. the Corinthia Group.

Joe was, however, not only a banker. Deeply religious, he also had this fine attribute of “dissolving” problems rather than insisting on only his thinking going through.

We often shared many moments talking about family. His education was that solidly received from the teachers at St Albert the Great College in Valletta, where his exemplary family also came from. His personality often reminded me of the medieval man of culture, and his many interests included keen admiration for Beethoven, for the English national rugby team, for Floriana FC, and also supporting the local centre of The Institute of Bankers.

There were many in the bank who envied him but that never bothered him, as long as he knew that in whatever he was doing, he had the support of the “father” of Maltese banking, Louis E. Galea. Joe was a shining example and credit to his profession, his country, his family and his deep beliefs.

To his ever-supportive wife Marie, his daughter Stephanie, his brother Louis, his former colleague and brother-in-law John Fenech, and all others in his extended family, I offer my deepest condolences.