He was a gunner in the Royal Malta Artillery, a distinguished Augustinian scholar and the second cardinal in Maltese history but there was also a humorous and playful side to Prospero Grech, who has died aged 94.

Tributes have poured in since his death on December 30, recalling a man of great wit, with the Catholic Herald even suggesting he was possibly “the most intelligent man alive”.

But one tribute received by Times of Malta from Liza Bingley Miller, family friend and daughter of Admiral Sir Alexander Bingley, sheds light on the light-hearted and affectionate side of the cardinal’s character.

Between 1958 and 1961, when Liza was 8-11 years old, Admiral Bingley was commander in chief of the Mediterranean Fleet and the Bingleys lived in what was then Admiralty House, in South Street, Valletta.

The friendship between the cardinal and Liza’s mother, Lady Juliet Bingley, was forged during a housing association meeting. They discovered they shared the same age, sense of humour and views about many things.

But they also teased each other mercilessly and this would see the cardinal trying to convert her mother to Catholicism and her mother, on her part, asserting that the cardinal was clearly an Anglican in his views if only he would realise it.

Liza recalls visits from Cardinal Grech whenever he flew over to London for a conference or meeting. He would then accompany Liza to some art exhibition, followed by a curry at Veeraswamy’s, in Piccadilly, which he loved.

“I remember him taking me to an exhibition of Chinese watercolours at the Royal Academy where he looked at every single picture with great care, reading all the labels and explaining to me their structure, the manner in which they had been painted and the reasons why they were so magical,” she said.

He did the same when, at the time aged 14, together with her twin brother, two cousins, her mother and godmother, Liza travelled by train to Rome where Cardinal Grech had been working at the Vatican since 1961.

He showed them around the Vatican and its gardens.

You felt he held you in his heart with great warmth and he somehow touched your soul like no one else did

“We looked at marvellous things that were made all the more extraordinary by Cardinal Grech pointing out what made each thing so special,” she recalled.

But the highlight of their meetings remained the jokes.

Together with her mother, he made up a story about the Vatican gardens’ fountains being some sort of retirement homes for “elderly catholic fish”.

“My mother quizzed the cardinal about whether he was ensuring that they had proper services and support,” she said.

Back then, Cardinal Grech had a room in the Vatican Palace looking out over Saint Peter’s Square.

During a visit, while showing them around the Sistine chapel, he took Liza up several flights of steps, asked her to go through a little window and onto a ledge. She found herself inside the chapel high up above her very alarmed mother.

Cardinal Grech remained unfazed.

“He urged me to inch along the ledge towards the Last Judgement so that I could get a better look.”

Of course, she obliged.

Pope Francis presided over the funeral of Cardinal Prospero Grech at St Peter’s Basilica, in Rome.

Liza will remember Cardinal Grech as highly intelligent, fluent in several languages and extremely well read.

He was, however, also a gentle and modest man and while “we knew he had achieved great eminence in his life, he would only talk about his work if asked”.

He seemed to be able to talk to people from all walks of life and make them feel special.

“But, by far, the most special thing about the cardinal for us was the kindness, care and friendship he gave me and my family over a lifetime.

“He had special names for each one of us and whenever I was in touch he responded with great warmth, humour and interest…

“You could talk to him about anything and he would listen carefully and come back with a well-thought-through reply, which was often accompanied by a mischievous joke.

“You felt he held you in his heart with great warmth and he somehow touched your soul like no one else did.

“And I have no doubt he made many others feel this way.

“He will be very much missed.”

Cardinal Grech’s funeral was held last week at St Peter’s Basilica, in Rome but he will be given the final goodbye in Malta on Thursday when he will lie in state at St Mark Convent, in Rabat so that people can pay their last respects and sign the book of condolence.

Mass, led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, will then follow at St Paul’s Cathedral, in Mdina.